Reality Check by Dave Whamond for September 13, 2018

Do you think he means instructions taken from actual Ikea products, or does he mean Ikea-style instructions for real life?

The images of the product are from IKEA instructions, but the cartoon figures are primarily from the cartoonist.

No so long ago, real men where able to build their furniture straight from the tree. Today most men need the help of their wives, just to build an Ikea chair. At a friend of mine, it is the wife herself who uses the power tools. I believe there is a reason we should have more respect for our wives today.

My wife was always the mechanically inclined one. I can figure out which end of the hammer to hold, two times out of three.

I am amazed at the younger generations these days. Some are so clever and found solutions to old and new problems, and others look so practically incompetent they can’t open the hood of the car they drive every day, or replace a bulb in a light fixture. The disparity seems much greater than when I was young (< 30 yo).

@The Brooklyn Accent : Possibly the nail not going in might be a clue?

My parents are baby-boomers but my mom has always been better at putting things together (she loves puzzles too) than my dad so she would do that part of things. His strengths are in geography (he can find anything without the need for GPS) and in history. Of course they both are very smart people but if you want a piece of furniture put together, ask my mom. If you want to know the quickest, easiest way to get from one part of the state to the other, ask my dad. For some odd reason, I’m horrible with BOTH of those things. Didn’t inherit either of those talents. I can’t find my way around furniture instructions or tools and I could get lost in my own neighborhood if left to my own devices. Also, don’t ask me for directions. Even if I know how to get there it’s with landmarks (and we all know in urban spaces such as mine, those things can change on a dime): “Ummm, go straight down this street then turn left at the church that looks like a school…well technically it’s a church AND a school, then go straight some more until you see a lake, keep going past that until you get to a middle school, take a right on the corner where the school is and keep going straight until you see a yellow house…or is it green now…then take a left……”

Directions – who needs them?

For IKEA products, the directions are for comic relief. Although I just bought a TV with IKEA directions and I wasn’t laughing.

Try putting together a teak bed from Norway where the instructions are all in Norwegian. At least hubby could follow the pictures and got it together.

An interesting tale:

A number of years ago, many foreign companies paid US college students to translate instructions for them to include in things sold over here. They often tried to see what they could get away with. A friend once bought a French tent with these instruction; “To begin the erection, spread fly wide. Grasp pole with both hands. …”

I believe that should be “Släktfejd” (Family Feud). Presumably a google translate typo.

Actually, I like assembling IKEA stuff. It’s not bad quality for the price, and it’s a good mindless but productive activity. I look forward to wife or daughter bringing something home for me to assemble for them.