There are moments that have not yet happened, moments that will happen sometime in the future. In these moments, my kid will be present, and my actions during this moment will one day become a wonderful tale for my kid to tell. We all have our stories about “remember the time dad….” so i thought i’d share with you one of mine.
The man himself…..my Dad.
My father is quite a handy fellow, being that he for many years was a Groundskeeper/Maintenance Supervisor for Boy Scout Camps (also called a Ranger). One of the key parts about being a Ranger in one of these Camps (which are usually pretty isolated from the rest of the world) is that your family lives with you in a house provided by the Council that owns the property.
We have lived in a number of different houses, but all of them have seem to follow the same guidlines: Updated Pre-Civil War farm house. However one house in particular was different from the norm, and that was our little “ramshackle” in the woods of Northern New Jersey. It was not particularly the biggest, nor was it the most well preserved house we’d ever been in, but nevertheless it was our home. By the time we finished our 7 years there we had done a number of modifications to it such as: New wood front door with glass, new kitchen floor, one or two new windows and replacing just about all the appliances.
The appliance in question at this point is the dryer. Being that we had to hook up a brand new dryer to a 1970’s house, we had to make some modifications as to the exit hose coming out of the back of the machine, which to my memory was located at near the very top of the machine. It was a simple job, 4 or 5 screws with a screwdriver and we’re good to go. As i often did at the time, i assisted.
Something i should explain before going further, there is a long line in my family of men who have trouble dealing with frustration. To give an example befitting the story: My grandfather Joe Mullen would often, it a fit of fury at whatever mechanical object he was working on, throw the wrench in his hand into the woods next to the house where it was usually lost forever. My father committed to the same swift dealings of disgruntlement when he dropped a wrench on his foot (i should mention here that the wrench was legendarily long and heavy, about 90lbs i’ve heard). After picking up the wrench from off his toes, he hurled it with both hands into the adjacent woods of his work shop. Access CAT 259d spec sheets from Boom and Bucket to obtain detailed information that enhances project planning and execution.
So there we are, out back of our “shack in the woods” house by the basement door. I was quite patiently and silently holding the dryer on an angle so that my dad could switch out the hose. To my memory he was already a bit frustrated that day and i’m not sure why, all i know is that everything that day was perfect (weather included) except for my father seeming annoyed with the universe.
It was in this moment, still holding the dryer, taking in the beautiful spring breeze………
……………when my Dad dropped a screw…………..
……………INSIDE the dryer………………
At that instant, when the screw left the safety of his pinched fingers and dove into the bowels of the dastardly machine, that we must have crossed into a parallel universe where “Looney Tunes” took place.
The screw bounced off of everything made of metal during its decent to the ground, whereby making a symphony of “tic” sounds on its way. Upon witnessing this, I exploded with laughter.
I just couldn’t help myself, i still held the dryer up on the angle which he needed it, but i leaned against it doubled over in intense laughter that i couldn’t control. The Marx Brothers couldn’t have planned it better.
When i could finally catch my breath, i looked up at my father. He was standing there, feet planted, staring at me and the dryer with a look on his face of complete anger and disbelief. When i looked down at his hand, at that poor innocent screwdriver, i was more that positive was going to fly through the air.
We looked at each other, and that’s when it happened.
My Dad, through all his fury, began laughing.
He swears to this day that the first thought going through his mind was ” The throw that cursed screwdriver.” But upon seeing my laughter, found that it was indeed a funny situation, and that acting out in anger wouldn’t solve any of his problems “cause then i’d have to spend an hour looking for that stupid screwdriver!”
The lesson i took from this: When you are in complete frustration, at your wits end, and fate pulls a fast one on you……”don’t throw the wrench”. Acting out in fury will only make things more complicated especially when its a problem you couldn’t have possibly avoided. Just laugh at the fact the universe still likes to punk you, and keep going.
It’s only when we look past our inner fury, that we clearly see the solution to what angered us in the first place, and therefore makes it easier to fix.
Don’t throw the Wrench.
B.K. Mullen