Holding Flashlight For Dad

[goldtang]

What I wouldn't give to be yelled at again for holding the light wrong. That man taught me how to do more things than most people will ever be able to do in their lifetime (aside from fellow garage journal folks). I lost him way too early and miss him everyday.
At 40, my girls are just getting old enough to work on things with me and I try to take advantage of every one of those memories I can make.
Take advantage of every opportunity you get to spend time doing something productive with your family in both the generation before and after you. It doesn't last forever guys and gals.
Now this old manly elevator mechanic has to go wipe his eyes after typing this.
Happy holidays garage journal.

Yep has bought a tear to the eye was when I first posted have two girls both will have a go before giving in and giving me a call

 

[Viper98912]

Just read thru the thread and I don't think a lot of you understand. It's not about the where the light is pointed it's all
about the time spent with the parents and the grandparents that matters. Never realized at the time how much this would
mean to me now but now that I'm a Grandfather and a Great Grandfather I have a much better understanding. Time spent
in the shop with the kids is the most valuable time we have left. Days are numbered.... Enjoy them.

I think we do understand, that's why we're all talking about these stories. This is a positive thread, not a negative one.

 

[goldtang]

I think we do understand, that's why we're all talking about these stories. This is a positive thread, not a negative one.

Totally understand it is about the time spent I am a grand parent now and and spend time with my grand daughter showing her what I showed her mum I do Now have a son-in-law who calls me dad and he is eager to learn not so much on cars but that is ok we end up having a drink at the end of the day just like my dad and me did he was my best mate

 

[smackey05]

I definitely learned a lot holding the light for my father. He is the one that taught me almost everything I know about working on cars and working on the house.

He'd also always send me into the house to look for tools which were never put back in the right place...

 

[Pen & Wrench]

Ah yes, I remember those days when I was holding the flashlight, or my case, the shop light. My Dad fixed almost everything that required fixing on the farm. You can only imagine the power I felt when he needed glasses, and had trouble seeing whatever it was he was working on, and all of a sudden my young eyes could see it and do it better than he could! On occasion he would let me do something he was having trouble with. Now with my no line bifocals, I have a much better understanding about all this stuff! Some of the best times with my Dad was fixing farm machinery in the shop, or under a shady tree, where we were dodging goose droppings.

 

[Juiced06GTO]

I feel like if you get what this whole thread is about you grew up right. I've got 3 sons now, 7,5, and 3 who I can't wait to yell at for not holding the flash light in the right spot lol. My Dad passed at 53 before he got to meet any of them, so the least I can do is keep the tradition going. My wife got me a journal to put together for my boys called "All about my Grandad" it was supposed to be written in by him and passed down to the boys, butI'll be writing it instead, this thread reminds me I need to start filling it with stories for them before I start to forget them...

 

[zmotorsports]

I'm sure most of the guys on here have seen the memes of holding flashlights for dads. I'm sure most have had the experience of getting yelled at for not holding the light exactly where dad wanted it. And I am sure most of you have yelled at your own kids when asking them to hold a light.

Well now that my dad is getting older and no longer able to do the hard work, he has been relegated to holding the flashlight for me. And it is obvious that he has never held a flashlight for somebody else before.....I was working on his truck and asked him to hold the light, and like a little kid, the light drifted away over and over and had to keep telling him, just like he used to say to me, "I can't see". It got to the point where I said "you never held a flashlight for your dad did you?" to which he laughed and said he didn't remember his dad ever working on anything. Still makes me laugh when I think about it. He used to ream me good for not holding the light properly.

Anyway, no real point to my story, just saw a post about somebody holding a light for their dad and it reminded me of it.

The timing of this thread is hilarious.

We had my son and DIL over for dinner on Sunday night. My wife was giving my son a hard time and he quickly replied "you can't hurt my feelings, I've held a flashlight for dad". We laughed our asses off and then I had to inquire if it really was that bad and then a WHOLE other conversation begun. Not sure I like the light that was being shed on my in front of my daughter in law however.

 

[Ron_J]

I was taught to hold the light by my granddad. He was a lot more understanding/forgiving than most. When I was still in highschool, dating my now wife, I would help her dad work on stuff. Often held the light. When we get together my brothers in law often talk about the comments like "I hope you can see because I can't", and I tell them I never heard that and how bad they must be for not being able to hold a light.

 

[Metallitubby]

down......up.....down.....up......down...... the good ol days.

This sounds more like my dating days than the days spent working with dad.

 

[FMB4]

I've gone through this a number of times while my wife was holding a light for me. She's quick to remind me that 'maybe I should hold the light' while she goes back into the house. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to the time that she asks me to hold a flashlight for her...

 

[klindstedt]

Love this thread! Another kid here that held the flashlight/trouble light wrong. My dad was a self-employed plumber/hvac guy. I started working for him evenings and weekends at age 9. Learned what the nickname 'gopher' stood for - go for that tool, pipe, etc. He always got a kick out of telling me to get the pipe... dope.

 

[LeonardY]

I used help my dad change the oil on the car. He used to have me sit on the fender with my feet in the engine compartment. Come to think of it. I really didn't do anything but watch, but it was fun.

 

[WVBrady]

I wasn't very big and the problem I had was that when he was working on the car was that I was in an awkward position and eventually I would get tired and start shaking. Now, I still shake when I get tired, it just doesn't take so long.

 

[kaymccampbell]

You folks are giving me battleground flashbacks. I'm actually subconsciously cringing back.

It didn't matter whether I shined the light on the moon or directly on the work, it was never right. My dad would roar, "You stupid c$=t, shine the light on the work!". Then there'd be the grab for the light, and I'd get whacked with it. Then the bulb would go out, or it would break, and it'd be my fault? Then he'd punch me and insist I stand next to him, telling me, "I need a helper, not another stupid useless c&$t like your mother.", and other interesting, but similarly themed comments. With the occasional backhand, or wrench to the face, if I wasn't wary.

The funny thing was, after I walked out, he never asked my siblings to hold the light. I'm pretty sure he just liked taking every chance he could to make me feel small, weak, and stupid.

 

[paredown]

It was the time and place where I think a lot of us got our start--flashlight holder and 'gofer' as in--back into the shop ' find the 7/16" box end and be quick about it'...

My dad would get mildly annoyed when we couldn't respond quickly enough, but he was actually a good teacher. And smart--he'd give us jobs that kids would like, like packing wheel bearings with grease, or rolling out the window putty in strings, 'cause you know kids love that tactile stuff...

I did my first solo brake job in the parking spot in front of the condo where my new bride and I first lived--we were still students, and had no money (and almost no tools). Did it start to finish the way I had been 'taught'--even though I was mostly the 'gofer' and parts washer with Dad, I knew the procedure. Of course my wife grew up in a non-project household, so this was unsettling for her to say the least. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she'd ask. And she made me drive the car around the parking lot to demonstrate that the brakes worked before she would get in the car...

My starting point when tackling something tough or complicated is still WWDD (What Would Dad Do)...

 

[LeonardY]

You folks are giving me battleground flashbacks. I'm actually subconsciously cringing back.

It didn't matter whether I shined the light on the moon or directly on the work, it was never right. My dad would roar, "You stupid c$=t, shine the light on the work!". Then there'd be the grab for the light, and I'd get whacked with it. Then the bulb would go out, or it would break, and it'd be my fault? Then he'd punch me and insist I stand next to him, telling me, "I need a helper, not another stupid useless c&$t like your mother.", and other interesting, but similarly themed comments. With the occasional backhand, or wrench to the face, if I wasn't wary.

The funny thing was, after I walked out, he never asked my siblings to hold the light. I'm pretty sure he just liked taking every chance he could to make me feel small, weak, and stupid.

Kay,
That *****. I'm sorry. No child or person should be every treated like that. It's just not acceptable.
Leonard

 

[fsae0607]

Ah yes, memories! My late Dad was an Aircraft & Diesel mechanic. That's where I get my gearhead genes from.

My son is 7. He likes to hang out with me in the shop. My work is rewarding us with a Xmas shutdown since we had a great year. I told my son we'll be doing an oil change & tire rotation/balance on one of those days. He's looking forward to it.

Last year I took him for a spin in my '61 GMC. He loved it. Getting that hot rod bug into him!

 

[egdede]

Seems like I was mostly holding the light for midnight drum brake jobs and tune-ups (think points). Skills I haven't used this century.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

I had that experience with my dad, and then the friend I had who taught me all the basics of wrenching. My dad is what I like to call "mildly mechanically inclined." He knows the concepts and has the skills and tools for most basic of moderate tasks, but employs help beyond those kinds of things. He did teach me the basics behind a lot of things, but the bulk of my learning was from a close friend who was a mechanical and fabrication genius.

Both yelled at me for holding the light. My friend died a few years ago from cancer. My dad now calls me for mechanical help and stores up projects for us to do together when I go visit. He holds the light for me now.

I wouldn't give up a single moment of that time together, with either of them. I'm glad my dad is still with me and in good health.

 

[Bad Eye Bill]

You folks are giving me battleground flashbacks. I'm actually subconsciously cringing back.

It didn't matter whether I shined the light on the moon or directly on the work, it was never right. My dad would roar, "You stupid c$=t, shine the light on the work!". Then there'd be the grab for the light, and I'd get whacked with it. Then the bulb would go out, or it would break, and it'd be my fault? Then he'd punch me and insist I stand next to him, telling me, "I need a helper, not another stupid useless c&$t like your mother.", and other interesting, but similarly themed comments. With the occasional backhand, or wrench to the face, if I wasn't wary.

The funny thing was, after I walked out, he never asked my siblings to hold the light. I'm pretty sure he just liked taking every chance he could to make me feel small, weak, and stupid.

Sorry you had to go through that.

My wife experienced similar events due to a drunken ************* stepfather. One thing she told me was he was beating her mother in a drunken rage, she got away from him, he was chasing her through the house with a hatchet, my wife grabbed a stove length from the kitchen wood box and clocked him with it as he chased her mother through the doorway.

Dropped him cold on the floor, thought she'd killed him. She was 13 at the time. Her mother died from a heart attack at 60 without getting away from him, she would always go back when he sobered up.

Sorry for the depressing story, yours brought this one to mind.

 

[1967ChevyRagtop]

You folks are giving me battleground flashbacks. I'm actually subconsciously cringing back.

It didn't matter whether I shined the light on the moon or directly on the work, it was never right. My dad would roar, "You stupid c$=t, shine the light on the work!". Then there'd be the grab for the light, and I'd get whacked with it. Then the bulb would go out, or it would break, and it'd be my fault? Then he'd punch me and insist I stand next to him, telling me, "I need a helper, not another stupid useless c&$t like your mother.", and other interesting, but similarly themed comments. With the occasional backhand, or wrench to the face, if I wasn't wary.

The funny thing was, after I walked out, he never asked my siblings to hold the light. I'm pretty sure he just liked taking every chance he could to make me feel small, weak, and stupid.

My dad drove a tent stake thru my mothers palm one Sunday afternoon.

 

[runwhatyabrung]

I got to hold the light many times (wrongly) Once I got to hold the insulated pliers on the spark plug wire close to the spark plug to check spark on the lawnmower. When pops pulled the cord to check the spark I yelled and dropped the pliers cause I got zapped, (was touching un-insulated part) old man just said, yep there is spark LoL

 

[freudianfloyd]

Wow, this thread has taken a horrible turn. I started it as a light hearted joke about my dad not being able to hold a flashlight as well as he expected me to when I was a kid. Sorry some of you had to go through those experiences.

 

[SRU1436]

I'm sure most of the guys on here have seen the memes of holding flashlights for dads. I'm sure most have had the experience of getting yelled at for not holding the light exactly where dad wanted it. And I am sure most of you have yelled at your own kids when asking them to hold a light.

Well now that my dad is getting older and no longer able to do the hard work, he has been relegated to holding the flashlight for me. And it is obvious that he has never held a flashlight for somebody else before.....I was working on his truck and asked him to hold the light, and like a little kid, the light drifted away over and over and had to keep telling him, just like he used to say to me, "I can't see". It got to the point where I said "you never held a flashlight for your dad did you?" to which he laughed and said he didn't remember his dad ever working on anything. Still makes me laugh when I think about it. He used to ream me good for not holding the light properly.

Anyway, no real point to my story, just saw a post about somebody holding a light for their dad and it reminded me of it.

i enjoyed reading your experience. Not to highjack your thread, but this same type of situation happen with my dad and I this past weekend. I was over his house helping him remove the radiator out of his 40 Ford. I did most of the work while he held the flashlight. He is 74 and in good health, but it was easier on him that I did the work. It was a great bonding experience.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Wow, this thread has taken a horrible turn. I started it as a light hearted joke about my dad not being able to hold a flashlight as well as he expected me to when I was a kid. Sorry some of you had to go through those experiences.

Sorry to have turned your thread. Some folks have different life experiences. Some houses are the Cleavers and some are the Mansons. Thank Dog most dads are closer to Ward than Charles.

As an aside, it took me years before I would let my kids hold the light for me, and they did it horribly. Now we trade off, depending on who's the better at the job. But, it's not just kids who are bad at it. Most of the human race has the attention of a tse-tse fly when they are not the one doing the actual physical task. I was recently servicing a rather large air mover, with a real engineer holding the light for me. Lemme tell ya, he was ****-dog useless. Light on the wall, in my eyes, on my ***, up in the beams, but not on the relay pack I was working on.

 

[Jagmandave]

As the oldest boy I was the one Dad grabbed to help, and with 7 kids he did almost everything himself. I learned a lot that way, my brother always ******* that I was taught and he was not. To this day he can do almost nothing on his house.

Yep, same here.....I'm the oldest of 5 boys (+ 2 sisters). Of all of us, only one other of my brothers I would ever trust to work on something for me - anything - house, cars, boat, bikes......

And when any of them need advice I get the call. I don't mind that tho, it keeps us in touch.

 

[bepjrfan]

I have been very fortunate to learn from my parents as well. Been doing my best to pass it on to the next generation. My lil man(2) absolutely loves hanging in the garage and working on stuff. He has been holding the light since about a year old. Pretty awesome stuff. Projects tend to take significantly longer but absolutely worth the added time.

 

[niget2002]

My kids are spoiled... After a rather exhausting weekend of me trying to get my wife to hold a flashlight coorectly before we had kids, she bought me a headlamp. My kids have never had to hold one.

 

[Ilikeike]

I never have liked the head lamps,
the only exception was on backpacking trips, especially when you needed to find a bush or tree to get behind with toilet paper in one hand.

 

[XJSuperman]

I paid my dues holding the light for my father in his shop every chance I could. Good jobs were fun, bad jobs were cussing and trying to get me to hold the light just right. I improved rather fast, but I get a chuckle out of the shaking and cussing comments, been there done that.
The brake bleeding was the big one. I was small enough that I had to clamber up into the vehicle on the lift, or dad would push me up there. Then I sat for what felt like hours pumping that pedal.
"DOWN!"
"Down."
"UP!"
"Up."
"DOWN!"
"Down."

Until we were done. I remember the string of cursing when a bleeder stuck or he spilled fluid on the floor. Nothing I could do but giggle in the seat up in the air or keep my mouth shut depending on the mood that day.

Nowadays when Im home we use magnetic lights and Im busy wrenching alongside him. No flashlight holders needed. If the day comes that I have kid(s), I'll have to remember to keep an old dim incandescent Maglite around for them to hold for me.

 

[Odd Job]

Dad was a doer, had to be as the owner/builder/operator of a commercial fishing vessel. As a result, no flashlight holding in my resumé. It was my primary duty to stay out of the way, (not the hell out of the way tho) especially out of dangerous areas on deck and out the crews way. He always gave his reasons and answered all of my questions during hours and hours together at the wheel. I learned a ton just by watching, asking, and listening. Conditions were the same at home.
He didn't care much about working on cars. He'd buy used, drive them a few years then traded in. Then, when he retired, he bought a motorhome, .......so he could go fishing??? For fun???? That's when he started holding flashlights.
It was my girlfriends Dad (future father-in-law) that liked to work on his car. He took night school courses and was eager to share his knowledge. Older now and driving I needed a brake job and he insisted on teaching me.
Shortly after this and once again underway in the motorhome on the backroads, some nasty noises began, a brake spring failure. That's the first time I was able to help Dad with something. Got a ride to a Chevy dealer, returned and repaired his brakes in the field. He was so happy, but I was happier. After that, I was at least consulted. As he and Mom aged, my roles increased. Cue "Turn,Turn,Turn"

 

[39 LaSalle]

Man...has this thread brought back a few memories, and a few tears. When I was a kid, he was my hero. He could do everything from overhauling an engine to building a kite with tools from his shoe box sized tool box he ALWAYS had with him. I can't even begin to count how many times I've been through the "THE LIGHT'S IN MY EYES!!!!" routine to the brake bleeding process. A bunch of you all must be younger than me. In my day we didn't have Maglites or fancy rechargeable lights. We had old beat up metal Ray-O-Vac incandescent flashlights with cheap C or D cell batteries, or trouble lamps that cooked your hand because dad kept a 100w light bulb in it.

Four years ago I started a pre-war car restoration project. I lost dad this past spring at the age of 94, but he'd had Parkinsons for several years now. People have no idea what I'd give to turn back the hands of time and have him help me with the restoration project for even an afternoon. Thankfully, all of the light holding, brake bleeding, and a million other tasks taught me how to make it by in life paid off. Oh, and I got the toolbox too!

 

[toolmiser]

I got to hold the light many times (wrongly) Once I got to hold the insulated pliers on the spark plug wire close to the spark plug to check spark on the lawnmower. When pops pulled the cord to check the spark I yelled and dropped the pliers cause I got zapped, (was touching un-insulated part) old man just said, yep there is spark LoL

My Dad just had me hold the wire. I wasn't very smart then either.

 

[Wrench97]

My son still can't hold a light in one spot for more then 30 seconds...............my daughter on the other hand can not only hold the light but can also find the wrench I ask for in the toolbox......................she also is now the one that takes her husbands car in for warranty work since they can never figure out what he trying to tell them and brings it home still not fixed..................................

 

[PassnThru]

To be fair - the last time I asked one of my kids to hold a flashlight for me it was destined for failure. It was just one of those narrow paths that only I could tell if it was effective or not. The person holding the flashlight didn't have a clue - they can't see what you are seeing in a tight space. We are literally talking about 2 or 3 degrees of rotation here.
Today we have a lot more options than our Dad's had. If you work on stuff then you have a multitude of 'work lights' that you can mount and bend and rotate and give you the light you need without yelling at someone else.
And yeah - I don't rely on my kids to light my work area because I already know that they - well - they have the attention span of a gnat.


I blame their mother.

 

[MINIz guy]

Glad I saw this thread pop up.

I had the same epiphany that the roles switched as I was working on my parents' car tonight. I'm kneeling on the engine trying to reattach the million brackets on the back of an N55 motor and my dad's standing to the side shining a light to illuminate the bracket I'm feeling around. It wasn't necessary, but the gesture was certainly nice and saved me a few minutes.

 

[Milton Shaw]

My dad was not mechanical at all. He held the flashlight for his brother who did all our mechanical work. I eventually graduated to holding and then doing all the work eventually. My dad did hold the flashlight for me on occasions but not very often. My uncle was the one that taught me mechanical work as he did oil changes, brake, U-joint and all the work on dad's cars, trucks, tiller and mower. I had my first job at age 14 as an after school and Saturday mower and bike mechanic and locksmith. Worked on mowers and bikes even in college and still do for that matter. I learned all my other construction skills working volunteer at a Church Camp. Wiring, framing, roofing, block laying, concrete finishing, plumbing, swimming pool chemistry, etc. were learned at church camp. Skills I still use today although not as often. Kids now days don't have nearly the opportunities to help and learn as I had as most parents could not even change a flat tire much less repair anything.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I don't remember holding the flashlight, but I do remember passing wrenches under the car ! 3 or 4 years later, he would just say, "You Mom's car needs an oil change." I think is was about 15 at that time.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.
Considering I never had to hold a flashlight for my Dad, I have really good flashlight holding etiquette. Probably because I use one so much in my line of work.

Tommy

 

[DGersic]

I also remember “hold the flashlight” and “There. No, not there, there. Point it there damnit. NO NOT THERE. THERE.” And, yeah, as a kid I had no interest in whatever it was, and I’m sure my attention wandered. This was made worse by the one lumen bulb in the cheap plastic flashlight with half dead batteries. I didn’t see a Mag light until college, and those were a fantastic, marvelous upgrade.

One of the reasons I prefer to work alone, probably. Why make somebody with no interest participate in something I’m doing? Instead, I have a collection of lights that can be mounted, hung, or pointed where I want the light to be.

I modified a microphone stand as a holder. Where the mic used to go, I now have flashlight and cel phone mounts. The phone mount is especially helpful for seeing things that are out of sight. Point the phone camera at it, FaceTime link it to my iPad, and I can move around as needed.