Useful Skills

Doctor Jubal Harshaw, once upon a time (or once upon a future time, depending on your perspective) decreed:

"A Man should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently and die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

Knowing Dr. Harshaw as I do, I'm sure "man" should be construed to mean "mankind", the good doctor being a well known feminist. Even were he inclined to such misogyny, the women in his orbit would surely have made his life hell. Doubtless, the scoundrel Robert Heinlein has misquoted Dr. Harshaw.

Notwithstanding the inaccuracy of Heinleins account, Dr. Harshaws assertion is as good a place as any to start. Let's take a look at each item and see how it's useful to us, shall we?

Change a Diaper: As long as there are diapers to change, the womenfolk can't be far away.
Plan An Invasion: Depending on the nature of the Kerfuffle, invasion planning may not be required right away. Keep a copy of "The Art of War" handy, just in case.
Butcher A Hog: To this I would add "Raise A Hog"
Conn A Ship: Surely, Dr. Harshaw had some sort of interstellar craft in mind. For our purposes, I believe equine skills might be more appropriate.
Design A Building: Midwest Plan Service will be helpful here. Just get all you can now.
Write A Sonnet: Not that I see sonnet writing as a very useful skill, but I won't object if someone wants to keep Shakespere's works handy
Balance Accounts: Consider that the currency won't necessarily be dollars. Grains, spices, chickens ... who knows?
Build A Wall: Always a useful skill. Don't forget, logs and rocks make good walls, too.
Set A Bone: Keep a Boy Scount handy.
Comfort The Dying: Hopefully, if we do all our other skills well, this won't be required very often
Take Orders: Assuming there's anyone around to take them
Give Orders: Same, but reversed
Cooperate: No arguments here
Act Alone: Which I suspect may be required frequently
Solve Equations: This is one of those skills like getting to work on time - even the most rudimentary ability will set you above the crowd
Analyze A New Problem: Of which there will be plenty
Pitch Manure: Also, be sure you have something to make the manure
Program A Computer: At a minimum, be able to change out the hard drive and reinstall the OS - yes, I believe the computer will still be valuable
Cook A Tasty Meal: Never a bad skill, anyway - some old cookbooks would be a good idea
Fight Efficiently: Don't pick the fight, but feel free to end one by any means
Die Gallantly: If this is important to you, remember you only get one chance

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Useful Skills