I have been thinking a lot about a verse from PoC||GTFO titled “A Parable on the Importance of Tools; or, Build your own fucking birdfeeder.” It is a short story about a man named Noah who decided to build a boat. His friends were confused and asked him why? Why not buy one, or rent one out for the weekend? Noah grew tired of their questions and stated “I’m building my own fucking birdfeed because they’ve got wood at the store.”

This story appeals to me for a few reasons. It says that you can make anything with your own hands regardless of what people say or think. Easier solutions might exist, but there is a personal satisfaction for doing it yourself. You gain knowledge, experience, and a deeper understanding to all of the details that make that thing. You might appreciate it more. It might open your eyes to appreciating other things that other people have made. You can’t buy that experience. You can’t buy that knowledge. It comes with doing the work, or at least attempting the work.

At first, I thought this was why I liked it so much. I love to build things and this story relates to that. But it is more than that. This passage appeals to me on a deeper level because it echoes back something I recently learned. For a long time, as far back as childhood, I was afraid to do things. I was afraid to be asked why I was doing things. I wanted to do everything the right way, so I would not stand out. I read this passage at a time in my life when I realized that my own thoughts about what others might be thinking were holding me back. I have started doing things that I actually want to do. I stopped worrying about what others would think (mostly). I started caring for myself in a healthy and loving way. I learned to do things for myself and my wellbeing out of the love I have for myself. It is very empowering, and this passage echoes it back to me. Don’t let others’ thoughts, or more importantly, what you think others’ thoughts are, stop you from living your best life. Love yourself. And if people keep pestering you about why you are doing something different from the norm, tell them you’re building your own birdfeeder.