I just wrote this letter to my Son. I plan to send it out to him 20 years from now: Dear Konrad, I made you work on our old Peterbilt so you would never be overwhelmed by any machinery. It’s hard to work on heavy, rusted truck for a grown man, but it’s “mission impossible” for an 11-year-old boy. But I introduced you to 4-foot-long torque wrench that day to make sure the lug nuts were tight. We need 475-foot pounds to make sure the wheels don’t walk away when we drive. 475 divided by 4 feet = 118 pounds of weight needed to be applied. You were like 80 pounds. I told you to figure it out and watched you with a smile. You found those missing “extra pounds” by hanging upside down and pushing your feet against the trailer rail. You made me say “WOW!” The other day wasn’t as spectacular – I made you grease the entire truck and trailer – another tough task for a first timer, and you were dirty like a pig and tired as a dog, but I’m sure your future wife will never complain about squeaky doors at the house and your car will have fresh oil all the time. Then, remember when I made you climb over the stacks and reefer unit to the top of the trailer to replace that corner light? I told you I believed in you, and you never fell and finished the job – again. I’m sure you will believe in your kids now, too, and realize that if you just give them the proper know-how and never express any doubt, they will get it done, just like you. They will surprise everyone! And it’s not just you – all kids are amazing like that. Use proper tools, maintain everything, and have faith. I did that and we stayed free when you were growing up. Now, it’s time for you to do the same! Love, Dad.
This article was originally published by Tenfourmagazine.com. Read the original article here.