In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Enough Is Enough.”
When was the last time you were ready to throw in the proverbial towel? Did you end up letting go, or decided to fight on anyway?
I was taught and learned early in life to never give up, and I just have to persevere to discover the solution to succeeding.
I received this wisdom while working alongside an elderly auto mechanic at my father’s business at eleven or twelve years of age in the middle of a cold winter.
The gentleman had no formal training as an auto mechanic, however his wisdom and years of knowledge about automobiles, especially transmissions made him a teacher to a lot of other mechanics.
We were both on our backs, looking up at a transmission, we were replacing. The mechanic was on what we called a “creeper”. It is a four-wheel devices in which you lay on your back when under a car.
I was the young helper full of curiosity and I was on a heavy blanket passing tools and helping as much as a kid my age could.
We were attempting to connect the linkage for the transmission that allows the driver to move the car into gear.
With my zeal and curiosity at its peak. The mechanic told me to start screwing in a bolt to connect the linkage, because my hands were smaller. The elderly mechanic, hands were arthritic and much larger.
For at least five minutes of more, I attempted in vain reaching up above my head attempting to start a bolt to attach a gear linkage. He spoke softly encouraging and coaxing me not give up. Although, at that moment, I so badly wished to be anywhere else than on the concrete floor, underneath a car on a Saturday afternoon.
My hand was icy, my arm was tired, all the metal around my hand was cold, and the interior of the garage was being heated by a small space heater.
In todays social environment many adults would have scolded him and my father for me being there. However, I was there on my own with the wide-eyed curiosity to learn and help.
Finally out of frustration he asked for the bolt and, I could hear the disgust in his voice as he told me that my hands were small enough to get the bolt started and I wasn’t trying hard enough.
Feeling disgusted, I wanted to leave as I felt defeated by being unable to complete the task. However, the mechanic told me not to leave and began explaining how he would get the bolt started even with his large arthritic hands.
As he struggled to get the bolt started, I watched as he became frustrated and he maneuvered into several positions wiggling and straining his hand, and arm into place to start the bolt.
I stayed under the car and after several moments of his grunting maneuvering, and cursing under his breath, he eventually started the bolt connecting the linkage.
I was surprised as I thought we would have to remove the transmission to get the bolt started to attach the linkage.
He asked me to continue tightening the bolt with a wrench, and he began to explain a lesson of how I should never give up when trying to complete anything in life.
He further explained how life if a struggle and no matter how hard something is or seems to be, I should never give up. It applies to my school work, reading a book, and most importantly if I want something badly enough, I would never give up to achieve what I want.
He used the tightening of a bolt in which my hands were small enough to fit, but I lacked the confidence and perseverance to achieve success.
As life has passed along, I have discovered that perseverance, determination and the struggle to make something work is an essential tool to have in the mental tool box of life.
I had the privilege to witness such dogged determination up close and personal many times since that day, when a lot of people would have said enough is enough.
I have learned there is a will power within everyone to achieve anything they wish. The determining factor, is how hard and what tasks are you willing to complete to achieve your goal.
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