The 'tools' of a good life
Sometimes ... all you need is the right tool.
This can apply to many areas of life in many different ways: To have the right career, one requires the tools necessary to achieve that goal, i.e. a good education and/or strict work ethic; in order to gain healthy relationships with your friends, family and coworkers, one should have excellent people-skills and the wherewithal to maintain those relationships through patience and understanding; and when you look for a house or property to purchase, one should know exactly what to look for through the use of a realtor, homeowner seminars, online courses ... etc.
But sometimes you (quite literally) just need the correct tool to get that car fixed -- to get that hole patched in your son's bicycle tire -- to change out that fuse in the breaker box -- or to change that darned radiator.
The latter of which is what I've been forced to focus on lately.
Just in time, too! But I digress ...
Upon becoming a homeowner, I suddenly began realizing my dreams of any and all improvements and customizations I could make to my humble abode. I began noticing several things, one right after another which, if given just the right amount of attention, could shine through and improve the lives of my family members.
However, without a hammer, a can of WD-40 or a lone roll of duct-tape, I just as suddenly realized that I couldn't make a single repair -- much less an actual improvement.
The first issue that brought my attention to the importance of a quality set of tools was the installation of a new garage door. The previously-installed garage door mechanism at our house, while still technically working, did not allow for the use of remote-controlled door openers, nor the use of an outside keypad in the event that I lock myself out of the house (I won't even begin to tell the lie that I haven't done that before!).
So my soon-to-be father-in-law and I began our mission of putting into place a brand new, somewhat state-of-the-art garage door system, taking place sometime back in the month of April.
Though I was excited and anxious to spend some one-on-one time with my soon-to-be father-in-law, I was nervous that I wouldn't have the tools necessary to complete the job.
My concerns were decisively confirmed when I saw him retrieve his tool set from his truck. It included everything one could ever need for basic repairs (and then some) -- screwdrivers, nut-drivers, a crescent wrench, a socket set, Gorilla Glue ... the list went on and on.
For the second time in as many months, I saw how crucial it was to have the right tool(s).
Therefore, I purchased a large set off tools the call my own -- a hammer, a screwdriver set, a socket set, a tape measure, a roll of duct tape -- I finally had everything I could possibly need.
Now, back to "just in time ... "
My fiancé's aging sedan (I'll keep the brand of the vehicle under my hat) recently began experiencing issues with its radiator.
I received a call one morning from my fiancé saying that, while on her way to work, she found herself stuck on the shoulder of U.S. 41 just a few miles north of Terre Haute.
The car's radiator hose had become loose and ultimately decided to detach itself from the outlet of the radiator just as she was nearing her place of work. Though the green liquid that had sprayed over the entire engine reminded me a lime Hi-C drink from my childhood -- it was not a good thing.
Antifreeze was all over the engine. Smoke was everywhere. Everything was hot to the touch.
Upon inspection, I subsequently deduced that the connection on which the hose was clamped had corroded to the point of breaking and simply needed to be readjusted via repositioning and a new clamp.
Therefore, in accordance with my new findings, I determined that the removal and replacement of the original clamp with a new hose clamp was just what we needed to get the car moving again.
With my new and shiny toolbox in hand, I strolled up to the front of the car with my newly-found sense of confidence and extracted the existing clamp with a pair of adjustable pliers, removed the broken piece of radiator still lodged within the end of the hose with a pair of needlenose pliers, cleaned the area with a roll of paper towel, placed the still-hot radiator hose over the nozzle with a pair of vice-grips, unscrewed (and the re-screwed) the hose clamp into place with a nut-driver, wrapped the entire area with a few solid layers of duct-tape and replaced the antifreeze by using a funnel.
I can hardly describe the sense of satisfaction I gained as I then followed my fiancé home. Seeing the car pull into our driveway with no smoke or even the slightest inclination of overheating gave me a boost of confidence seldom seen -- a confidence not only in my own abilities, but in the abilities of my tools and the safety of my loved one.
Needless to say, it was all thanks to having the right tools to get the job done and get my fiancé home. Without them, the car would have required an expensive tow or worse.
So remember, when we encounter tribulations throughout our daily lives, whether they be emotional, financial or physical -- sometimes all we need is the right tool.
- -- Posted by williamphilster on Sat, Jul 2, 2016, at 9:26 PM
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