In part I we marvelled at my friend who has gone to build a treehouse for a stranger in Southern Europe. He has the bravado of a journeyman carpenter and the experience of a novice carpenter.
I remain in awe of this quest. Even though I am a trained cabinetmaker with twelve years experience, I have never built a treehouse and would be scared to take this on for a stranger/client.
Let’s check on Our Man’s progress:
Progress
More details have come to light about the backstory.
This client appears to be chauvinistic and is upset that Our Man will not drink his beer.
In terms of construction, Our Man has now lashed together three trees with a triangle of wood. The trees—acting geometrically independent of one another due to external forces—did not like being lashed. Each corner has a wooden support, held vertically on the inside edge of each trunk. He has shored up the tree bases with rock.
Christopher Walken once said:
“If you want to learn how to build a house, then build a house. Don't ask anybody. Just build a house.”
A man I once worked with thought this was terrible advice given the wealth of past generations’ experience there is to draw upon.
But this actually bolstered Our Man's confidence. I have since given him tidbits of wooden advice, but have made sure that that’s really what he wants.
The most important thing I sent him was a PDF about playground equipment safety regulation. It contains much wisdom. Most importantly it shows how big gaps should be so that children don’t trap their heads (not between 3½” and 9”). I used it recently to modify a chair I built from an online plan, the back-slats of which fell outside those guidelines.
I digress. The treehouse photos look good. But I have just been informed that the only wood he is authorised to use, is rotten.
He is now focussed on safety over aesthetics. I believe he has his work cut out for him. Pun intended.
Further analysis
The fear aspect of this story is my main thrust. Our Man seems to have overcome it and is ploughing on regardless.
I would not have even got this far. Why?
My first experience with a friend who took on a project with limited prior knowledge about the skills involved, was in my second year of university. While I stayed on for the advanced course (which in hindsight was unnecessary) this guy—a classmate from the previous year—blagged his first commission.
An office in London wanted a huge, wavy plywood room divider. He bid for the job and convinced them he had what it took. He had few tools and no workshop, if memory serves. But he got those things, he aced the job, and he now runs a successful cabinetmaking and joinery business.
So, what do he and Our Man have in common? They are both keen to please, clearly. They are both confident in their ability to learn new skills. And they are also perfectly fine massaging the truth to get what they want out of life.
It is this last part that causes the fear in me. What if I got found out? What if I was exposed as a… fraud? What is a fraud? Were these two friends of mine fraudulent? How important is honesty?
Sam Harris’ exceptional essay, Lying, defines its title as any act of deception, including by omission. I think that's what we're talking about here. I would be devastated if someone thought I had deceived them. Indeed it has happened in the past and I am still embarrassed and apologetic to this day.
Part III Preview
In Part III I will try to decipher why potential discovery of lies and half-truth cripples me, how that has affected my working life, and—possibly the part you’re most looking forward to—how that treehouse is coming along.To be continued...