Thursday, May 21, 2009

The Non-Fixer

In a prior post I wrote about how I fix things... at night... in bed...while I am trying to fall asleep. In reality, I do not have a lot of talent for fixing things in the harsh light of day.

The world is full of many interesting people, but I think we are we losing those all-important tinkerers. Today young men and women can work a software package, work a complicated blackberry, program a GPS, and plan a project. But can they change their own oil? Can they fix a clothes dryer? Can they install a window AC? Can they get that old rototiller running again? Can they reset that stupid door hinge that sticks every year? Can they take a machine apart and through examination figure out what is wrong and what can be fixed and what needs to be replaced?

Of course not! Who has the time? Who has the patience to break a nail in these stressful times. And so our land-fills will continue to expand as we toss things that cannot be fixed.

I think tinkerers are really cool people. My 75-year-old neighbor, who was an executive for a well-know company years ago, fixes everything on the farm that he rents out. He also rents out two trailers on this farm and repairs everything that goes wrong inside them as well. His church loves him as he can figure out anything and fix it even if he has to take it home and work on it all weekend! He likes the satisfaction of repairing something rather than throwing it away and replacing it by something new that is probably not as well made.

My dad could fix almost anything. He knew that we didn't have the money to buy new and so he made it work. Both of my brothers (one who owns a small construction company and one who is a retired teacher) also have the ability and patience to fix things rather than toss them. I did not inherit that fixing gene.


This photo above is the refrigerator in my kitchen. Perhaps in my frequency in getting access to my favorite ice cream I opened the bottom freezer too often this week and the refrigerator is trying to tell me something...the handle came off in my hand yesterday! I got out the manual (which anal retentive Tabor filed away carefully) and read it and it does appear that one should be able to slide this handle back on the two clamps without much struggle. It is NOT broken. I have read the directions twice and with a Masters degree still cannot figure it out. I am taking a deep breath and going to tackle it again later when I am more Zen. I can still get into the freezer so there is no panic.


This contrivance in the back seat of my car is my in-house vacuum cleaner. It stopped working also earlier this week. I unplugged, reset breakers, and reset the button on the bottom of the vac resulting in no success. I got out the manual and researched on the Internet. I am guessing that the starter motor on this two-year-old beast is the problem. I called a vacuum repair place and the nice man said I really needed to bring it in if I wanted him to work on it. He proceeded to tell me how to take it off my basement wall. The canister had been installed about 8 feet high, and so, standing on a chair, I managed to lift this heavy piece of machinery, carry it upstairs to the garage, and battled it into the back seat of my car. ( I may not know how to fix things, but I sure as hell lift weights and that does come in handy.)

P.S. For full disclosure, my darling husband, whom I love dearly, could not fix a squeaky hinge if his life depended on it.

P.P.S. If things do come in threes, I wonder what is next.

11 comments:

  1. I love this post more than any. I cannot fix a thing. But my mother was a mechanical genius. Dad called her Rosie for Rosie The Riviter. It shames me that I am such a loser at taking thing apart and putting them back together. My spouse is a mechanical genius and my paternal grandpa was mechanicallly inclined and my sonand daughter both follow down that path. But these persons who can fix cars, refrigerators, radios, tractors, etc. are all a dying breed and we need them desperately.

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  3. Occasionally, I surprise myself and fix things that appear to be beyond my ability. I'm not too keen on messing with electronic things though. Hopefully the third thing is not your computer. I'd hate for you to have to miss out on your comments. ;)

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  4. I am a non-fixer too. I've always been poor at mechanical and electronic things. The biased side of me clings to the idea that it's part of man's general work. So I always call my brother, father or male friends for help. Hihi. :)

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  5. i am not a fixer either. :( hubby can take anything apart and repair it, however. he fixed our fancy computerized dryer (i hate it and miss the old fashioned one!) recently saving us a bundle on an in-home repair, fixed my father's freezer in GA, installed a new high tech thermostat system here, repaired my new laptop when i caused a shortage with a water spill, and installed a new keyboard in my old laptop. he replaced the motor of our hot tub saving us huge labor costs, installs new irrigation heads to new zone lines he creates in our in-ground sprinkler system, builds his own desktop computers and adds all sorts of gadgets to electronics in our home. he is a high tech geek who, since childhood, has taken things apart and put them back together. i wish i could do half that stuff. (he is younger than i am.)

    many years ago i did install a new switch in the dash of my car for my lights by sketching a map of the current set-up and copying that design when putting the new switch in and re-wiring it. i was thrilled with myself over that accomplishment! that was my only starshine. i am a wuss and wait on hubby to fix things.

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  6. Ironically, my husband just took the fridge apart to fix it...and it works again! I don't know how he does it but he manages to fix anything if it means not having to make a new purchase.

    PS - You've encouraged me to lift weights again. ;)

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  7. I've just come across from driftwoodinspiration where I liked your comment.
    I read a few of your posts, Like both blogs. Looked at your profile, what a lot we have in common.
    I will certainly return.

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  8. I could never fix anything and my husband could make all broken items work again. After he died I replaced all the door knobs in my house with the European style ones and was so proud of myself I started trying to fix other things. I discovered that I am NOT a fixer. Could one of you gals send your man my way?

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  9. My dad was like yours; he could fix anything and kept our homes in great repair. Unfortunately, I married a man who can't even use a screwdriver properly.

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  10. Well I think things maybe a bit different in England. My husband is a builder, and an inveterate repairer of everything. Our cooker/oven is as old as our marriage, and nearly every part has been repaired and replaced by him. I really would like a new one though!

    My youngest daughter's fiancé can repair cars and tractors, do electrics etc etc So they ARE still being brought up over here (and taught at college) to fix and repair.

    Having said that, I bought myself a drill set last year and havent used it yet. But one day I intend to learn.....

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  11. Wonderful post, Tabor! Wonderful.

    There was a time in my life, maybe from about 23 thru 43 when I could take apart, figure out and fix almost any darn thing in the house, and even some in the car!

    Then I met Ed.
    Ed ruined that for me by being the most loving, considerate and adept fixer I ever had the good fortune to be married to (stop laughing). :)

    Now I'm lucky if I can re-program my phones with speed dial if need be, and wait - did you say vacuum? What's that? Mine is this bristly thing at the end of a long handle. And sometimes, I even ride it.

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