Daddy always said….

[Back Alley Gator]

What my daddy didn't say was instructive. I was 13, sitting on the couch watching TV. He walks in from work and tosses me a car part. Say the one on the car is worn out and needs replacing. Do you know how many parts there are on a 1961 Falcon. I started looking under the hood, in the cabin, then under the car. Turned out it was the rear universal joint. Then I had to figure out how to remove the drive shaft. Then how to press it out. Then press it on. Then reinstall said drive shaft. Dinner was in the oven ('cause Momma). Dad was finishing, looked up at me and asked if the car would get him to work in the morning. I said yes; it did. Nothing else said about it. Until the big car needed a power steering pump. I am a pretty good mechanic. Saved a bunch of money through the years.

Dad would have been up all night doing it himself if I were you. No chance I hell I could have gotten it done in a million lifetimes. In fact I couldn't do it today if you gave me a week to prepare.

 

[B52G8rAC]

Dad would have been up all night doing it himself if I were you. No chance I hell I could have gotten it done in a million lifetimes. In fact I couldn't do it today if you gave me a week to prepare.

Prep work to sweat through a degree in engineering at an elite University.

 

[B52G8rAC]

At least it wasn't a plane

See, that's what he did. Worked on Navy planes at Pensacola NARF. His dad was a refrigeration specialist and licensed electrician. Dad was too. I pulled wire through insulation from the time I was ten. I guess he thought it was passed down genetically. Or by osmosis. Which he wouldn't have understood.

 

[TLB]

What my daddy didn't say was instructive.

This brings back memories. Again, my dad didn't teach me through verbal instruction all that much, but like you I picked some things up through other means.

He DID teach me to change the oil filters and oil in a car, along with his story of driving a screw driver THRU a filter because the damn thing wouldn't spin off (he was turning it the wrong way).

But the biggest indirect lesson I learned was from him swapping out ceiling fans in place of ceiling lights. Growing up in Gainesville with the summer heat, he (and mom?) decided we should have ceiling fans instead of just lights in our rooms. This involved dealing with wiring and manhandling the thing into place (nobody offered to help him). My takeaway from him doing that was if that idiot could do THAT, I most certainly could. That in turn led me to believe there was little I couldn't do.

With that lesson, I learned myself how to fix running toilets (change out the inner works in the tank, done perhaps a dozen times), changed out entire toilets (3 times now and counting), changed out a dozen locks (and have been making my kids to this in their early teens), etc. Perhaps another reason this dad gets all the sht jobs around the house when things break. Now, I'm no carpenter or electrician or plumber, but I will damn sure give things my best attempt (or two) before calling in a professional (admittedly, has happened many times). This 'I can do anything, just have to figure it out' dovetailed perfectly with growing up to be an engineer, and has been applied to many various things throughout my life. I always look back and recall 'if that idiot can do it, I certainly can'.

 

[CDGator]

@Seedy taught our son about computers at a very early age.




I taught our daughter everything I know about painting.




It’s important to pass along knowledge to this younger generation. They certainly won’t learn these life skills at school.

 

[Detroitgator]

"Never as soon, it makes an ass of soon and me."

 

[NOLAGATOR]

What ever happened to English?

 

[B52G8rAC]

"Never as soon, it makes an ass of soon and me."
View attachment 50064

WTH does that even mean?

 

[Double Gator Dad]

What ever happened to English?

Haven’t you heard?
English is racist

 

[NOLAGATOR]

WTH does that even mean?

Right there with you brother.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

WTH does that even mean?

“Never as soon” in lieu of “never assume.” The rest I suspect you’ll figure out.

 

[Nalt]

This brings back memories. Again, my dad didn't teach me through verbal instruction all that much, but like you I picked some things up through other means.

He DID teach me to change the oil filters and oil in a car, along with his story of driving a screw driver THRU a filter because the damn thing wouldn't spin off (he was turning it the wrong way).

But the biggest indirect lesson I learned was from him swapping out ceiling fans in place of ceiling lights. Growing up in Gainesville with the summer heat, he (and mom?) decided we should have ceiling fans instead of just lights in our rooms. This involved dealing with wiring and manhandling the thing into place (nobody offered to help him). My takeaway from him doing that was if that idiot could do THAT, I most certainly could. That in turn led me to believe there was little I couldn't do.

With that lesson, I learned myself how to fix running toilets (change out the inner works in the tank, done perhaps a dozen times), changed out entire toilets (3 times now and counting), changed out a dozen locks (and have been making my kids to this in their early teens), etc. Perhaps another reason this dad gets all the sht jobs around the house when things break. Now, I'm no carpenter or electrician or plumber, but I will damn sure give things my best attempt (or two) before calling in a professional (admittedly, has happened many times). This 'I can do anything, just have to figure it out' dovetailed perfectly with growing up to be an engineer, and has been applied to many various things throughout my life. I always look back and recall 'if that idiot can do it, I certainly can'.

Isn't it funny how one story reminds someone of a story and that story reminds one of another story and so on and so on?

Your story reminded me of back in the early 1990's I drove a Ford Ranger. I thought it needed the front brakes replaced so I decided I'd do it myself to save some money. So I went and bought the pads, new rotors, and seals and drove it over to my parent's house to do the work. That way, I would have my Dad to lean on if I needed advice. Dad could fix ANYTHING! I got the front end jacked up and removed the tire then the brake pads and rotor from the passenger side and my 2nd oldest brother brought his girlfriend (now his wife) over. She came out to see what I was doing. I told her that I was replacing the brakes and rotors and repacking the bearings. She asked me had I ever done it before and I told her that I hadn't. She said, "How do you know that you can do it?" My reply to her was, "I don't. But I don't know that I can't do it either and there are only two options, pass or fail." Didn't tell her that Dad could and would assist if needed but I didn't think she needed to know all that...

I didn't need Dad's help after all.

Then, in the late 1990's I was working in a factory that made the tire cords for Goodyear, Micheline, and Cooper tires. There was a guy that worked there who was an incredible sewing machine mechanic. He could literally take a sewing machine completely apart and have no two parts touching each other, re-assemble it and it would run like a brand new sewing machine. But he couldn't replace the brakes on his truck which only required removing two bolts... smh...

 

[B52G8rAC]

Isn't it funny how one story reminds someone of a story and that story reminds one of another story and so on and so on?

Your story reminded me of back in the early 1990's I drove a Ford Ranger. I thought it needed the front brakes replaced so I decided I'd do it myself to save some money. So I went and bought the pads, new rotors, and seals and drove it over to my parent's house to do the work. That way, I would have my Dad to lean on if I needed advice. Dad could fix ANYTHING! I got the front end jacked up and removed the tire then the brake pads and rotor from the passenger side and my 2nd oldest brother brought his girlfriend (now his wife) over. She came out to see what I was doing. I told her that I was replacing the brakes and rotors and repacking the bearings. She asked me had I ever done it before and I told her that I hadn't. She said, "How do you know that you can do it?" My reply to her was, "I don't. But I don't know that I can't do it either and there are only two options, pass or fail." Didn't tell her that Dad could and would assist if needed but I didn't think she needed to know all that...

I didn't need Dad's help after all.

Then, in the late 1990's I was working in a factory that made the tire cords for Goodyear, Micheline, and Cooper tires. There was a guy that worked there who was an incredible sewing machine mechanic. He could literally take a sewing machine completely apart and have no two parts touching each other, re-assemble it and it would run like a brand new sewing machine. But he couldn't replace the brakes on his truck which only required removing two bolts... smh...

Different skill sets. One requires patience, finesse and a delicate touch. The other enough cash to buy a new sewing machine.

 

[Bushmaster]

I didn't meet my dad until I was 33 years old.

My grandfather was the only male figure I knew growing up. I worked on the farm everyday after school starting at about 5 years old. Whenever we would screw up something, he would beat us with whatever was handy. Shovel or axe handle, tree branch, bull whip, fist, didn't really matter.

 

[CDGator]

I didn't meet my dad until I was 33 years old.

My grandfather was the only male figure I knew growing up. I worked on the farm everyday after school starting at about 5 years old. Whenever we would screw up something, he would beat us with whatever was handy. Shovel or axe handle, tree branch, bull whip, fist, didn't really matter.

That's awful. Hope you have some good memories of childhood too to drown out that nightmare.
You probably have a great work ethic, but at what cost?

 

[Ironhead]

When I was a kid, Dad always worked two jobs.
“Be the first one at work, the first one to leave work, and the first one at the next stop”

Later on, High School, “Son, always throw the first punch and make it count”

When I was dating one girl in high school my parents didn’t like it, so Dad told me “Boy, there are a lot of wild ass women out there and someone has to take care of em’”

My Dad, now 86 years old, had his drivers license taken away because he hit a wood chipper in the street with a flag man and cones all set up, finally realized he is legally blind.

So, he bought a “scooter” and decided to ride out to see his buddies at the barber shop.
He side swiped a car, broke his hip and had a bunch of road rash.
Ended up in the hospital and re hab for about 6 weeks.

He told me last week,
“Damn, I don’t heal as fast as I used to”

His nickname in our family is “The Legend”

 

[Nalt]

When I was a kid, Dad always worked two jobs.
“Be the first one at work, the first one to leave work, and the first one at the next stop”

Later on, High School, “Son, always throw the first punch and make it count”

When I was dating one girl in high school my parents didn’t like it, so Dad told me “Boy, there are a lot of wild ass women out there and someone has to take care of em’”

My Dad, now 86 years old, had his drivers license taken away because he hit a wood chipper in the street with a flag man and cones all set up, finally realized he is legally blind.

So, he bought a “scooter” and decided to ride out to see his buddies at the barber shop.
He side swiped a car, broke his hip and had a bunch of road rash.
Ended up in the hospital and re hab for about 6 weeks.

He told me last week,
“Damn, I don’t heal as fast as I used to”

His nickname in our family is “The Legend”

I bet your dad is a lot of fun to be around...

 

[Frozen Gator]

When I was a kid, Dad always worked two jobs.
“Be the first one at work, the first one to leave work, and the first one at the next stop”

Later on, High School, “Son, always throw the first punch and make it count”

When I was dating one girl in high school my parents didn’t like it, so Dad told me “Boy, there are a lot of wild ass women out there and someone has to take care of em’”

My Dad, now 86 years old, had his drivers license taken away because he hit a wood chipper in the street with a flag man and cones all set up, finally realized he is legally blind.

So, he bought a “scooter” and decided to ride out to see his buddies at the barber shop.
He side swiped a car, broke his hip and had a bunch of road rash.
Ended up in the hospital and re hab for about 6 weeks.

He told me last week,
“Damn, I don’t heal as fast as I used to”

His nickname in our family is “The Legend”

My Dad said the same thing "Be sure and throw he first punch and make it count".

 

[Ironhead]

I bet your dad is a lot of fun to be around...

He is and he has a lot of old stories I’ve heard hundreds of times but still laugh my ass off every time.

I have a picture of him, about 20 ft up climbing a palm tree in Key West, with a pocket knife.

 

[NOLAGATOR]

My Dad said the same thing "Be sure and throw he first punch and make it count".

How times have changed.

My dad would say, win or lose you make sure he never wants to do it again.