It is hard for me to put myself into the general consumers shoes sometimes when it comes to auto repair. I understand all the reasons why people do it themselves, but as technical as cars are today, we struggle as professionals so I know it is hard for the DIY person out there. The part about the DIY crowd that I love and can absolutely appreciate is the right of passage many adults pass down to their youths. My kids love to help me work on stuff. Even though some of the things I work on are far above their heads, I always find a way to include them in the build or repair. I always want them to have that fire. The best part about DIY is that it creates a level of respect for the work, the project and absolute appreciation for the finished result. The first endeavor into the DIY stratosphere seems scary and exciting all at once. The thrill of being on your own and the fear of making a mistake. Think about this, when you have your child, nephew, whoever, help you, you are teaching them a lesson they can get almost no where else. They are engaging in procedure, measuring, fine motor skills, blue collar work, cleanliness, and attention to detail. What an amazing lesson. The appreciation for the work shows them that they need to take care of things and it creates and appreciation for the vessel. I think back to my childhood and helping my dad and the guys around the shop. I always took great care of my trucks. I never missed an oil change, always washed and waxed, and kept the interior shining. It was just an inherent aspect of working on the car and appreciating it. When I am with my kids and we are doing projects around the house, I work to teach them respect for what they build and they eat it up. They are so proud once we are done. The pride and accomplishment is the blessing that DIYers get from doing the work. I hope you are blessed with that gift, and if you haven’t been yet, take a small leap and change your air filter or cabin air filter or wipers. You will be amazed at how dirty they are and you will feel much better after you change them.
