It's How I'm Geared

My brother Gary - the mechanic in the family

I like to think of myself as a reasonably intelligent and capable person.  My wife tells me I should go on Jeopardy!  Go ahead, ask me any state capital, radio station location or historical fact from World War II.   Ask me to fix something that inevitably breaks down in real life and I'm usually stumped.   I admit it; I am not a handy man.   For some reason dating back to my childhood, those types of things never penetrate into my head.   Even when I worked at gas stations, I really didn't get far beyond fixing a flat or, when they were shorthanded, changing somebody's oil.   I was the guy who kept the place spotless and was pretty good at greeting the customers.   On the other hand, my younger brother Gary takes after my father.   Once they changed the engine in my '67 Plymouth Satellite.   When I saw what they went through, I felt guilty putting them through that while it reaffirmed my desire to stay the hell as far away from a wrench as I possibly could.

In today's society, mechanical aptitude can earn you a decent living.   I am in awe of the talent some people have working with their hands.   I do like some painting and gardening around the house, but that doesn't require handyman status.   There are urgent times when my limited abilities as Mr. Fix-It are required, but that's a last resort.    With the car, I have peace of mind knowing AAA is a phone call away.   There are instances when I surprise myself.   I have actually put IKEA-type furniture together following the detailed directions... with only a couple of parts left.   A recent plumbing emergency seemed like a quick fix, but after struggling with pipes to no avail I got my brother to come down.   He still gets royally ticked off at plastic parts being made so cheaply, but the third try was the charm.   This past weekend, a grill I actually assembled two years ago was not heating up past 200 degrees.   Our friend Betty said her husband fixed theirs by pounding on it a few times.   That did the trick!    Mechanically challenged prople like yours truly love solutions like this... very satisfying.