Childhood Memories

Childhood memories are often replaced from the imagination. That is, recent memories replace events that transpired during our childhood; these memories are considered fresh by comparison. Still, there are significant moments in our lives that maintain their place in our memory, based on their importance and their contribution to our lives. My life was forever impacted on a Summer day when my father and I had a fishing trip planned. An otherwise normal day of fishing at the lake would have a dramatic impact in my life, developing and accelerating a passion that would continue throughout my adult life, and will remain impactful for the rest of my adult life.
The fishing gear was packed. A cooler was filled with ice, soda for myself, and a 6-pack

I was alongside him for the entire process, beginning with locating the starter, which he pointed out, moving forward with disconnecting the battery, and crawling under the truck to remove bolts. A trip to the junkyard was necessary to obtain an alternative starter, which would be secured, connected and entered into the vehicle. Helping throughout the entire process, my goal was to observe and note every action that was being taken. My father allowed me to connect the new starter, guiding me through the process. While this was a relatively simple process compared with the complex actions that I have taken fulfilling my passion of working on cars, it was the most memorable

I recall how dirty my hands were. As a child who did not appreciate dirty hands, this was different. The soot and oil that had leaked onto my hands was inspiring; they reflected achievement and pride. My dad told me that a man with oil on his hands has “strong hands,” and that motto would remain with me throughout my life. The car would start upon installing the new starter. However, the significance of this experience went beyond the fishing trip. Throughout the day, I almost hoped that another issue would emerge with the vehicle so that it could be worked on together, and fixed. That sense of achievement was something so valuable, and I wanted to feel it