I’m From a Small Town
Of Course I Can Fix It
I was born in a small town. Raised in a small town. Listened to Nirvana, and made it my master plan to move to some big awesome city on the west coast. Well, things happen. Or, things didn't happen. Namely moving to a city on the west coast didn't happen. Moving to a city period didn't really happen. And I’m good with that.
Most of my days as a teenager were spent working in tobacco fields, bailing hay, mending fences, and all the other things that small town kids do while daydreaming about life in a bustling metropolis. As a young teenager I wanted nothing more than to forget everything about small town life, and head west to one of those big cities. What I failed to realize was the value of the things I was learning. I’m no prodigious programmer or multimillionaire, but I’m good with that. My skill-set is a little different, but no less valuable.
If I own it, I've fixed it
If living the small town life has taught me anything, it’s taught me how to be resourceful. Just because a repair manual says Widget A requires Repair Part A doesn't mean that’s the only solution to the problem. Often times Widget A can be repaired with a little creativity.
I rarely buy anything new. If it has a motor attached to it, I've never bought it new. That’s a trait I picked up from my step-dad. He owned a small engine repair shop a hundred years ago, and spent another hundred years repairing industrial machines of all kinds. Even if he’s never seen or heard of it before I think he can fix it.
When I was a teen, we used two tractors and an old Chevrolet truck around the farm. All of them were built from scratch. The Chevrolet truck was built from multiple junkyard trucks. That old Chevy had a push button start long before it was cool. The tractors were built from scrap metal and old motors. Remember, this was long before YouTube and OpenSourceEcology.org came around to lead us step-by-step through building things.
Craigslist is great!
Craigslist is my friend. Over the past three or four years I’ve bought and sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of “stuff” on Craigslist. I love it. It’s local, and long distance. If you need something, it’s on Craigslist. Maybe not in your immediate area, but it’s on there.
I mainly look for machines and vehicles listed by people who failed to take care of them. These items are usually cheap, and not too badly damaged. Sometimes the repair is nothing more than a clean carburetor and a new spark plug. There is something really rewarding about fixing what someone else deemed too damaged to let live on. I am really grateful to my step-dad for teaching me the skills and the mindset needed to turn junk into useful “stuff.”
The fix-it-yourself culture doesn't end with greasy motors and splintery fence posts. I've rewired parts of my house, along with several barns and workshops. So far none of them have burned to the ground. Friends and family, and now the internet, can help you finish just about any task you start.
Learn what you can, while you can
If you’re a teenager reading this from Small Town USA, my advice to you is learn as much as you can from the people around you. Learning how to be self reliant will not only help you, it will help those around you who might not have had the same opportunities. As a productive member of society I think it’s important to learn all the useful things you can, and share them with those around you.
Be proud of where you come from, regardless of where it is. Every place and every person has something to teach you. The important part is that you make the most of each opportunity.
