Although it’s very hard to pinpoint exactly when and where I learned some things from Dad, it is very obvious that I did learn them. One example is the tendency I have to repair things that break. I don’t think Dad ever came out and said “If it’s broken, fix it” but he did show me that over and over.
I really don’t remember the first thing I saw Dad repair. I’m sure I was too young to notice. He probably repaired my crib while I watched. He seemed to be able to fix anything. He worked on toys, cars, houses, doors, floors, bicycles, radios, televisions… nothing was sacred. He would attempt to fix just about anything that was broken… and he usually did fix it.
So having seen with my own eyes that it was OK to take things apart, I began early to do just that. My mother was often disappointed at my over zealous curiosity that managed to destroy the toys they bought that used to work. Usually, there were no more than two or three parts left over when I finished “working” on them.
I have somehow managed to end up with Dad’s ability to size up a situation, determine what is needed and charge ahead with full steam until the problem is fixed. That’s not to say that I am always successful, or that I never have problems. However, I do usually manage to be able to make a repair that works. Sometimes it looks kind of “rigged-up” and will not last, but the item will work (at least for a while).
In my attempt to recall just what Dad taught me about repairs, I remember one thing he did say: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (pardon my Southern). At first, this seems like the obvious, but look closer.
When you attempt to fix things that aren’t broken, you risk breaking them in the process. Many a toy had to be thrown out after I “fixed” them as a child. Carried a little farther, most things that are working are better left alone unless you are aware of some preventive maintenance that must be done.
Some things are actually made worse by repairing a part of them. An example is replacing a part that is one of a set. Brakes, for instance, have a little cylinder at each wheel that pushes the brakes into action. If you repair one of these (and not the others), then it is too strong and will cause the others to burst.
Relationships are often forced into quick “fixes” that aren’t necessary, too. People think that divorce is a fix for problems in a marriage. However, love is the only real fix. Divorces are just broken homes. You cannot really fix something without all the parts. It just won’t ever work right again.
Maybe as I get older, I’m learning more how to tell the difference in something that is broken and needs fixing, and something that is working that needs a little attention. It must be very hard for some people to tell the difference. I’m glad that Dad started teaching me early to learn that valuable skill.
