The house I grew up in was built in 1926 and the wiring running through the ceiling was wrapped in cloth :D
Similar experience...
I was the bad kid in the family, and had the benefit of always being told to:
"Go Help your Father with the ______ "
And so, I learned how to sweat copper pipes, fix cars, hammer nails, put shingles on a roof, run electrical wires, and put together PVC drains. It's still scary doing it myself though. And I don't have the time to do all that and also all the rest of the day-to-day tasks.
It always hurts my ethos when I need to pay someone to do something I know how to do, but don't have the time... I usually need to pretend I don't see all the things I would do differently.
I wish I had a been a bit older when my granddad was still kicking around, he was skilled in many things and was willing to show the ropes. Many of the skills that are valued these days aren't overly valuable skills - designed to make money - not create things.