wjburken
Supporting Member
Thanks.@wjburken awesome thread mate! I’m jealous! My dad never spent any time with me growing up, let alone teach me things like working on a vehicle. Unfortunately I think the only thing I learned from him was how to spend money..... your boys are blessed to have a dad that wants to teach them things! Nice work on the grand marquis! My great aunt had one for many years in Vermont. I’m super close with her and many a days when I’d fly back to see my grandparents and her, I’d spend riding in the marquis! Haha.
I was pretty fortunate that I was able to learn a lot by watching my dad do things and eventually helping him. Whether it was turning a wrench working on a car or swinging a hammer working on the house, I was there. I would say that my dad wasn’t so much motivated by wanting to teach as he was motivated by the fact he needed someone to help and I was willing and always by his side. Either way, I learned a lot. I got my first toolbox with some basic tools when I was 7 and my first socket set when I was 8. Still have that set by the way. When I was 10, I started fixing bikes for other kids and even their parents. Never could afford a new bike as a kid, but I had some cool ones that I built from bits and pieces other people were going to throw away.
I just hope I can teach my kids half of what my dad taught me. The neat thing is over the past 20 years or so, I have been able to repay my dad by working on his vehicles or fixing things around his house as he is not as able to do that kind of stuff. I tell him he’s finally getting a return on his investment of teaching me how to work with my hands.