When was the last time you changed a car tyre?

The story begins with four young Arab men in a car. They are all fit and buff, and like to boast about how much time they spend in the gym. Then suddenly, one of the car’s tyres explodes and, after some initial panic, they safely veer off to the side of the motorway. Two of the men’s smartphones are dead, the third one’s phone is about to die, and so it all falls to the fourth one to make the call to request assistance.

Since it is rush hour, they are told it will take time for help to come. So there they are, standing on side of the road, the petrol tank is close to empty and they have no phones to entertain them. After more than 45 minutes of waiting and complaining, an older gentleman in a pickup truck slows down and stops near them. “Do you need help?” he asks. The four go into the drama of how their tyre exploded and how they “almost died”.

Checking first if the young men’s car had a spare tyre – and it did – the older man, who is from Pakistan, smiles as he brings over all the necessary tools and starts to change the tyre while they watch.

“We felt such great shame at not being able to help or do anything,” said one of the young men who told me this story.

The incident triggered a desire in two of the young men to learn more about their cars and to learn other new “manly” skills such as plumbing and basic electrical work. They are on a mission to be more like their fathers and grandfathers. We have all become more laid back about basic skills, because we can find affordable services in the UAE for almost everything, from gardening to maintenance, cooking and even beauty services. Yes, there are people who will come to our houses to do our nails for us.

If we take a step back, we have to admit we do far less manual work than the generations before us. Sewing up buttons, making lace coverings, quilting, creating ceramics and even floral arrangements – these are once-common activities that we now have to take a course to be able to do well. The other day, I tried my hand at pottery. Now, I have a new respect for the traditional craftsmen and women who create handmade products such as pots and vases. While it is soothing as you release all your stress and energy into holding and moulding the clay, it is quite difficult and requires a lot of skill and patience.

I have created a whole line of clay kitten figurines – and friends who have seen them have wanted one as a gift, even though some of them are quite flawed.

I did a story on how there are initiatives in Bahrain to revive interest in its old tradition of pottery. For most of the late Islamic period – from the 17th century up to 20th – Ras Al Khaimah’s Wadi Haqeel and Shamal areas were hubs for pottery production. But with the discovery of oil, the industry petered away into obscurity.

“Everyone in the UAE had one of our pots and jars somewhere in their house,” Mohammed bin Saeed bin Al Shimaili – a member of the Al Shimaili mountain tribe once famed for its pottery – told me.

Then there is a story about a woman in Jordan who had taken up plumbing, and how her children felt embarrassed that she was doing a job that is looked down upon by society. Not only is it seen as a man’s job, but it is also often viewed as something done by uneducated members of the lower class. It takes courage to do something unconventional.

These days, almost anything can be found on Google or YouTube, but it is not the same as trying to learn a skill from scratch and then build on it.

Besides the therapeutic benefits and links to traditions and national identity, old crafts help bring out the creativity in us. Meanwhile as many studies have shown, learning other skills outside work – and outside the virtual world – helps develop busier and healthier minds and bodies.