9 minute read
12 Old-School Skills That are Becoming Obsolete
By Stephanie Thurrott 12 Old-School Skills
That are Becoming Obsolete... Does it matter?
Our Gen Z kids and grandkids are digital natives. They can convey nuance in their text messages, effortlessly navigate wherever they want to go, and get a pizza delivered anywhere, anytime. But they’ve never learned some of the old-school, analog skills most of us were taught as we grew up. Does it matter?
1. The skill: Read and write in cursive
Does it matter? TIME Magazine says yes, claiming that cursive writing is harder to forge, activates different parts of the brain, and allows people to read historical documents in their original form. Other than signing your name, I’m not convinced. The only time my kids need to read cursive is when they get cards from their grandparents, and those can be “translated” easily.
2. The skill: Dial a rotary phone
Does it matter? Probably not. When was the last time you needed to use a rotary phone? In any case, it’s something kids could learn in about a minute. Watching teens try to make a call with a rotary phone is entertaining, though. (For more phone-related fun, check out this 1954 Bell System video tutorial on how to switch from operator-assisted calls to dial calls.)
3. The skill: Sew
Does it matter? According to Martha Stewart, yes, for practical and educational reasons. Sewing allows you to design, create, and mend clothing, and it can help build planning and math skills and hand-eye coordination. I still put my rudimentary sewing skills to use when I need to sew on a button or repair a small tear, but I leave the more complex projects to the experts.
4. The skill: Navigate with a map or compass
Does it matter? Maybe. PBS Kids says reading maps helps build spatial reasoning skills, and certainly understanding compass directions and the concept of the magnetic North Pole should be part of everyone’s education. It’s tough to compete with the technology behind Waze and Google Maps, though. A map or compass might come in handy when that technology isn’t available, as long as you can manage to find a map or compass.
5. The skill: Drive a standard-shift car
Does it matter? Most of the time, probably not. Sorry, stick-shift aficionados (and I count myself among them). Edmunds reports that only 1.2% of new cars sold in 2019 had manual transmissions, as of October. As much as some of us may love them, it looks like shifting for ourselves is on its way out.
6. The skill: Change the oil in a car
Does it matter? It depends. Family Handyman says you can change your own oil in about 20 minutes and save some money. I’m sure this project would take me a lot longer than 20 minutes, and I’m not convinced on the cost savings. You need to buy oil and a filter, own or borrow the right tools, and have access to a garage or driveway where you can work. You also need to take your used oil someplace to recycle it. It’s nice to know how to change your own oil, and rewarding to do things yourself, but for most of us, the time vs. money trade-off probably isn’t worth it.
7. The skill: Replace a flat tire
Does it matter? Yes, but being able to use this skill in real life is questionable. AAA reported in 2017 that 28% of new cars didn’t come with spare tires. About 14% of new cars come with runflat tires; for the rest, manufacturers have often eliminated spares to improve fuel efficiency. If you don’t have a spare, you can’t change a tire. And even when you do have a spare, lug nuts are often so tight that many of us can’t loosen them to remove the flat tire.
8. The skill: Find a book with a library’s card catalog
Does it matter? Nostalgic as we may be, it’s hard to make an argument for this one. The Smithsonian reported on the death of the card catalog in 2015.
Does it matter? The skill matters; the system, not so much. To be sure, monitoring your accounts for accuracy and keeping your expenses below your income are cornerstones of personal finance. Logging in online to check your finances regularly works better than a paper-and-pencil system for just about all of us.
10. The skill: Look something up in a dictionary, thesaurus or encyclopedia
Does it matter? The Week makes an argument for print dictionaries over their online counterparts and points to the serendipity factor — while looking up one word you’ll likely come across other words that are interesting.
It’s tougher to make that argument for a thesaurus, where you’re likely looking for an alternative to a word you already know.
And your options for analog encyclopedias are limited. The Encyclopedia Britannica’s 2010 version was its last in print, and the World Book is the only general encyclopedia still being printed today.
11. The skill: Remember phone numbers
Does it matter? Yes. It’s a good idea for all of us to memorize, or at least have analog access to, an emergency contact number at minimum. But with 10-digit phone numbers, multiple area code overlays, and phones serving individuals, not families, it’s not feasible for most of us to commit a lot of numbers to memory.
12. The skill: Put a stamp on the correct corner of an envelope
Does it matter? Um, yes. Everyone should know how to do this.
Source: www.considerable.com
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By: Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law | Red Oak Legal, PC Can You Live Without a Living Will?
Even among lawyers, there is a lot of confusion regarding which documents clients need when it comes to health care decision making. Adding to the confusion is the fact that the names of many of these documents—Living Wills, Advance Directives, Do Not Resuscitate Orders, Healthcare Proxies, and Healthcare Powers of Attorney—are often (incorrectly) used interchangeably.
So, I thought I would address each of these documents in turn to try and clear up some of the confusion.
Let’s start with a Power of Attorney. A power of attorney (“POA”) is any document in which a principal grants an agent the authority to legally act on behalf of the principal. For example, Joe Q. Client (the principal) may give his wife, Jane T. Client (his agent), power of attorney to handle business and financial affairs on his behalf. The POA Joe gave to Jane in this case is probably drafted very broadly to give Jane a lot of authority.
On the other hand, you may have executed a very limited POA if you have ever traded in a car to a dealership. The dealership will typically have you sign a POA that gives it the limited authority to sign any paperwork necessary to transfer title to your trade-in when they sell it to the next buyer.
But, POA’s aren’t just for financial transactions. Depending upon how it is drafted, your POA may include provisions for making health care decisions as well. If the POA document authorizes your agent (sometimes called your “attorney-in-fact”) to make health care decisions, then your agent may also have the authority to act as your health care proxy as well. More on that below.
When it comes to granting an agent or proxy authority to make health care decisions, the law breaks down those decisions into two basic categories. The first category is end-of-life decision making, namely the decision to provide, withhold or withdraw life sustaining treatment or artificially provided food and water. The second category includes non-end-of-life decisions, i.e. decisions that do not involve withdrawing life sustaining treatment or artificially provided food and water.
If you don’t appoint an agent pursuant to your POA to make healthcare decisions for you, then you may draft an Advance Directive. This is a document that appoints an agent, called a Health Care Proxy, to make decisions on your behalf. Unlike a POA, a Health Care Proxy appointed in an Advance Directive is limited to making health care decisions only, and does not have any financial authority. Stated differently, your agent under a POA may also qualify as a Health Care Proxy, but your Health Care Proxy appointed by an Advance Directive does not qualify as your financial Agent. Finally, you may also have a Living Will, which deals only with end-of-life decision making. Your Living Will may be a separate, stand-alone document, or it may be incorporated into your Advance Directive. It states whether you want to receive life sustaining treatment and/or artificially provided nutrition and hydration if you are faced with a terminal illness. Terminal illness is defined as a situation in which the patient’s death is imminent, or whose condition is hopeless unless the patient is artificially supported through the use of life-sustaining procedures, in the opinion of a qualified physician.
A “Do Not Resuscitate Order” (commonly called a “DNR”) is also often confused with a living will. In a hospital setting, a patient will typically receive resuscitation efforts (such as CPR) unless a physician has given a “no-code” or “do Attend Free Workshop not resuscitate” order. But Estate Planning and Asset Protection Workshop such an order For more information and to register please contact our office is not effective if the patient by calling (334) 239-3625 or email Dana@redoaklegalpc.com. is discharged This educational workshop presented by local attorney Raley back into the L. Wiggins covers wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance community. directives, living wills, probate administration, protecting assets In that case, the from creditors, bankruptcy, divorce and remarriage, nursing patient must homes, long-term care and Medicaid qualification. Registration is obtain a special required. For more info visit www.redoaklegalpc.com. doctor’s order called a DNAR (Do Not Attempt Resuscitation) which must be issued by the physician on a special form obtained from the Health Department. Unless the patient has a DNAR and is wearing a DNAR bracelet, an EMT is legally required to attempt resuscitation. There are a number of issues regarding health care decision making which must be considered. Most people should have an Advance Directive and Living Will as part of their ordinary estate planning documents. We also recommend a separate POA to deal with financial decisions. Individuals faced with a terminal illness may also consider speaking to their physician about a DNAR order as well, if appropriate. Advance Directives and Living Wills do not typically expire by the passage of time. They may, however, get “stale.” This is not a legal concern, but a practical one. For example, health care providers may be more hesitant to follow your wishes if they are set forth in a 25 year old living will. As a result, it’s wise to update them from time to time to keep them “fresh.” Raley L. Wiggins Attorney at Law, Red Oak Legal, PC 334-239-3625 | info@redoaklegalpc.com 322 Catoma Street, Montgomery, AL 36104,
