17
My kid asked why I don't just buy a new hammer when the handle breaks
We were cleaning up the shop and I was re-handling my old cross-peen. He's 8. He said 'Dad, wouldn't it be faster to get a new one from the store?' I told him I made this hammer head 15 years ago, and the wood for the handle came from an oak tree in our yard that came down in a storm. He got quiet for a minute, then said 'So it's like you're putting the tree back together.' Never really thought of it that way before. It's not just fixing a tool. Anyone else have a moment where a simple question made you see your work completely differently?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
cameron3181mo ago
Man, that kid nailed it. I had a similar thing happen fixing my grandpa's old fishing rod. My nephew asked why I was bothering with such an old thing, and when I told him the stories behind it, he just said "so it's not broken, it's just remembering." Totally changed how I see repairing stuff. It's not about the time or money, it's about keeping a story alive. Your son gets that in a way a lot of people never will.
7