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A talk with my dad about his old Otis gearbox made me see things new

I was over at my parents' place last weekend, helping my dad clean out his garage. He was an elevator guy for 35 years before he retired. We found his old toolbox, and he pulled out this heavy, greasy gearbox from an Otis unit he worked on back in the 90s. He just held it and said, 'You know, I used to hate this part. Thought it was a pain. Now I miss the feel of it.' That hit me hard. I've been so focused on the new stuff, the computer codes and the fancy drives, that I kind of forgot about the simple, solid pieces that hold it all together. It made me appreciate the physical craft of it all over again. Made me want to get my hands dirty on the mechanical side more often. Do you guys ever get that feeling, where you realize you're taking the basic parts of the job for granted?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowan6663d ago

Man, that's a real one. It's easy to get lost in the new tech and forget the bones of the trade. My advice is to just block out a half day, find a simple mechanical project you can actually finish, and get your hands dirty. That physical win, turning a wrench and seeing a direct result, usually scratches the itch and reminds you why you got into this work to begin with. It doesn't have to be big, just something solid.

wrenstone3d ago

Get your hands dirty" is so true. I read an article about how a lot of engineers and techs burn out on screens and miss that physical fix. Just finishing something small with your hands really does reset your brain.