Friday, April 01, 2011

Satisfaction Working With Your Hands , A Lost Art?
My Friend Billy put this video link below up on his site, he got it from Hughes Handbuilt who got it from...
The fact of the matter is this video speaks the truth in volumes. Making things by hand while getting dirty is beneath so many youth today. They all want to start at the top and not have to get their hands dirty doing anything. Hell! It's not just today's youth. I remember visiting my Grandmother so many years ago. My brother and I had driven from Georgia to Alabama  for a day visit. We sat around talking on her porch after cutting her grass, she used to cut it herself but ya know, anyway, drinking ice cold tea and chatting she tell us she couldn't get any neighbor kids to cut her grass for her. She had even offered a couple of kids $100 a week to cut her lawn using her mower and her gas. Guess what, stupid lazy assed little shits told her no. Can you believe that? They turned down an hours work and $100 a week. She had cut her own grass until up in her late seventies and these sorry little punks thinking work was beneath them continued to ride their bicycles down her street while she did it.

To many kids are given the easy street growing up and they grow into thinking that they are entitled. No wonder so many get into trouble and say they're bored. Nobody expects them to do anything or makes them do anything so they have no personal self respect. Take the easy way, because well, it's easy, not self satisfying in the long run, but it's easy. How many kids today can make anything or fix any thing? Some, but not very many. Our nation has become a throw away nation, if something breaks just throw it away and get another one. How lame is that. Kids expect to come home, play video games, talk and text on cell phones and surf the net. They expect to eat dinner, have clean clothes to wear, nice things to have etc, But they don't want to help cook dinner, clean up the mess, take out the trash or do anything. As long as it is all done for them, well.

As a kid I had to learn to fix things, I made things. Thought it up in my mind and made something or repaired something. Nobody was standing there with a hand full of money to bail me out when my go kart, motorcycles or cars broke. Nope, had to learn how to fix it myself and it was so gratifying when it was completed. One of the things at the top of my list is creating something or repairing something with my own hands. I can stand back and listen to an engine purr or admire something I've made that works and there is no feeling in the world for me like that. Sure it was hard, it took time, sometimes it leaves scrapes and cuts on my hands but I can touch it, see it, feel it, hear it and have a sense of accomplishment. My son finally found some friends who like working on their own old cars and it rubbed off on him. Even though I've built many engines right here he wasn't interested in learning then. Even recently when I was redoing my motorcycle he showed no interest. He'd come out for a few minutes to ask questions then go back in the house.

BUT, when he got his first old car he wanted to freshen up the air cleaner. He asked questions then I left him to it to do all by himself. I was there if he needed help or had a question but let him do all the work. When he finished it he was so proud of himself and rightly so. He had worked hard on it and frankly, it looked fantastic. He has now redone the valve covers from ugly pieces to ones that look factory fresh. He now is beginning to take pride in what he's done and he knows he could have bought some new covers and paid to have them installed, but the feeling of accomplishment would not be there.

Enough of my babble. go watch this link:   http://vimeo.com/20789680

6 comments:

Learning to Golf said...

Wooley you hit on the major problem of societies problem today. When I was a kid my dad would have MADE me go mow your Granny's yard and kicked my ass if I had taken anything more than a glass of sweet tea and a couple of homemade cookies. It was called respecting your elders.

Jumping ahead to today it is called entitlement, laziness, and a total lack of respect. 24 year old parents with 10 year old kids, yes I have several in my room, tend to lead to permissive non-parenting skills. The kids whine and gets whatever they want because it is easier than listening to them bitch. I see the future of America and it isn’t looking all that shiny.

Willy D said...

If I ever get to the east, I’ve got to meet him. I was one of those kids that would’ve killed to work there. I think I still am.

There’re lots of reasons we’ve lost our manufacturing. One of them ironically, has to do with the scene where he blows dust off the floor with compressed air. OSHA would have a shit-fit if they saw you do that. Some of the regulations and cost involved we impose on private business is sometimes a bit stupid. We’ve had some large companies leave for Texas.

Another one is the schools. All the shops are gone. Trade School is a thing of the past. Teach to the test as if every kid is going to college. Well every kid ain’t going to college.

FLHX_Dave said...

Hey dude! I'm with you here on this one, all the way, 100%

We are all pampered pets now. The rest of the world sees this. We have become the Aristocracy of the world...and, do you know what has happened to every Aristocracy? Yup,..."Off With Their Heads!"

I'll second what WillyD and AZHD said here, every word.

FLHX_Dave said...

Oh yeah, great video link too.

Billy Jones said...

We all stand in agreement... If only the old folks way back when could have realized how hard we worked on those old bicycles, motorcycles and cars we built, repaired and customized...

WooleyBugger said...

I'm glad we all agree, I'd hate to have to travel around and make you see things my way. Arizona Harley Dude should give out A++ for all of you for paying attention in class...hey! Willy! Dave! Stop looking at those cheerleaders and pay attention in class. Billy! Get back in your seat, the girls coach is off limits to your mitts.