What your Dad taught you,

[lorne]

Wow, I was already having a tough morning. This thread set me over the edge. My dad passed away just about 10 months ago. So much he taught me. Miss him so much..

 

[pieceofwork]

This is my first post, but seems appropriate as I found this website while looking for information on a Wilton vise that used to be my dad's. He died unexpectedly in 2001. Grew up during the Depression, was in the Navy for 35 years and then traveled the world with GE selling communication systems. I can't begin to list the things he could do, from pilot to electronics tech, and he could fix anything from a Piper Cub to an outboard motor to building his own Heathkit stereo. He never threw anything of 'value' away. When our wooden water skis broke (in the 70's), he sawed them into planks and store them b/c they were Mahogany. Nuts, bolts, washers, fasteners by the hundreds - all of which I moved into my garage. I can't tell you how many times one of these pieces of hardware has saved my project - I will need an odd washer or brass of copper fitting and I search through Dad's old hardware and find just the piece I need. I'm sure he's looking down on that with a smile each time it happens

 

[Trey T]

Maybe I'm the lucky one here, I carried most of my dad's traits - "be able to fix or repair anything." My mother would tell me that every now-and-then since I was 7yrs old. Actually, I can't fix or repair anything, but that's what she tells her friends.

For me, it's a little different, it's my mother that shaped my character, which is more important than being talented/skillful at certain thing. One of the most universal thing I learned from my widow mother is that "life is easy if you make it to be." Certainly, life isn't always easy but I learned that there's always a solution to a problem.

 

[Nick Danger]

Because of my dad, I learned honesty and integrity. In contrast with him, I learned to protect those weaker than myself and that money isn't everything.

For his home projects, he would put in a huge amount of hard work using the cheapest tools and the cheapest parts, and he would be so proud of the shoddy results because he saved a little money. He could have afforded better, but he wouldn't. From watching him, I learned to buy good tools and good materials, and to try to make something that looks right and works right.

 

[arrowhead]

Don't collect too much junk.

Now I can understand this to a point, but after he passed away, it took me six months to clean out the basement and yard - and both were small. He never threw anything away so I learned to part with things I have no use for. It's bit me in the behind a few times though.

Once in a while my mom would get pissed and tell him to clean out the basement (the workshop). He'd rearrange some things and clean out a path and come upstairs with a coffee can to toss in the garbage.

I've had my piles over the years, but if stuff sits for too long and I don't use it, I loose it.

 

[Tim Kennedy]

" The world doesn't owe you a livin'"

" When the boss tells you to do something & it turns out wrong -- they'll pay you good
money to fix it"

The best for last:

"Use your head for something more than a hat rack"

Gone 37 years & miss him everyday.

 

[Responder]

Pretty much everything! Gone almost two years now and I sure miss him.

One of my favourites that he said was that "in the end, all you really have is your name, so make it a good name". That has stuck with me and I find myself telling my two kids this as well!

 

[Lkdelta]

One of the greatest lessons for a beginning mechanic, "don't meatball it." That has saved my **** so many times over the years I can't believe it.

This... and then there was the "Just do it right, and be done with it"
Look thru some of the tool pics I have here, learned how to properly use them all from him and Grand Dad

I almost forgot the most important thing, and I can still hear him saying it....

"The world doesn't owe you a living."

To bad we can't convince "society in general" of this simple way to live

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

Originally Posted by mmhouse
My dad could fix anything - and I mean anything. I can fix about half of things thanks to him. If only I'd paid closer attention!

He also taught me that when you borrow something you always return it in better condition than you received it. That's a good one to remember if you ever want to borrow something again.

What he said!

Me too... Dad really got around.

 

[PRND3L]

My father taught me to fulfill my obligations, Respect my wife and love my children unconditionaly.

So did mine, by hitting my mother (which resulted in divorce) and abandoning me when I was 2. ******* still doesn't have any balls -- never seen or talked to him since, which is probably a blessing in disguise.

 

[91FE]

He has two simple rules:

1. "Don't piss off your mother." Meaning...if she's happy, I'll be happy...and therefore you'll be happy.

2. "Don't waste your one phone call on me. I won't be quick with the bail money."

 

[brucer]

too many to list actually..

The one that stands out to me. We were building a huge deck that come off the 2nd story of the house back in the early 80's, he told me "Son, whatever you decide to do in life, take your time and do a good job"..

I understood it back then, but now I really understand it.. I drive past the old house from time to time, and that deck is still there and looked to be in great shape.. I also have some good memories of working on that deck with Dad....

 

[shooting4life]

If you cannot fix it with WD40 or a hammer you have an electrical problem.

 

[Jay Sco]

Didn't teach me a damn thing. Bailed when he found out he got my mom pregnant, all the way to the other side of the country from my understanding.
Everything was either learned from mom or self-taught.

Edit: maybe I learned from his absence to be there for my own kids. Yup, thanks dad.

 

[ddawg16]

Didn't teach me a damn thing. Bailed when he found out he got my mom pregnant, all the way to the other side of the country from my understanding.
Everything was either learned from mom or self-taught.

Edit: maybe I learned from his absence to be there for my own kids. Yup, thanks dad.

I was just about to say....he taught you something.....what a looser is.....and how not to be one....

 

[22george]

if you borrow something - give it back in the same or better condition than when you got it

 

[Steevo]

My dad taught me to beware of my dad.

He also taught me some basic electrical/electronics skills.

 

[Scott H in Wheaton]

Wow, I was already having a tough morning. This thread set me over the edge. My dad passed away just about 10 months ago. So much he taught me. Miss him so much..

Mine was Feb 2 this year...I held his hand as he passed.

 

[upndown]

The most important thing my Dad taught ME was how to be a good Dad!

 

[crewchief888]

My dad taught me to beware of my dad.

respect, with just a hint of fear
my dad was the same way..

he never raised his hand to me, or ever even raised his voice to me.

he passed away suddenly in '78, when i was 20..

 

[torqueman2002]

I learned confidence in fixing many, many things.

I saw, and helped him with electrical, plumbing, painting, refinishing, electronics, and automotive.

The value of hard work. In the early 50's, after work and on weekends - he wired homes his friends built, and had a home based radio and TV repair business.

How to keep my temper; he'd lose his frequently, very scarey.

Oh, and one quote I can remember: "Wash your face, then your ****."

 

[Kinyocase]

I can honestly say that my father didn't teach me near as much as most of you. However my mother whom passed back on May 28, 2011 was a 5 foot brick sh*thouse(actually quite small and frail but you get the idea) of a woman who taught me far more about life in our short 25 years together than anyone should have been able to. She smoked since she was 10, was beat so badly by her first husband she got epilepsy. Had to give up four children from that husband for adoption whom she continued to worry/look for until the day she died. It took me far too long to realize how amazing that tiny package of a woman really was.

I remember when I was about 15 I was in a really pissy mood about something or another and yelled at her then walked out. She jumped up off her chair, literally grabbed me by the ear and yanked my sorry **** back in the house in front of a few of my friends. After that day I tried my hardest to never disrespect her again.

In her last 5 years after I hit 20 is when we really started to connect. We began talking all the time and having conversations that nobody else could keep up with. Most amazing woman I have or quite probably will ever know.

 

[Jinks]

My biological father taught me that if you eat a gun you won't be around for much more teaching. My stepfather taught me nearly every other thing possible about being a bad father or person in general.

I spent years hating my stepfather. Then I grew up. I realize that I save because he provided nothing. I work because he showed me indolence. I care for my wife because he showed me spousal abuse. I drink responsibly because he showed me alcoholism.

In his final years I tried to show him compassion. He showed me that he didn't understand, or feared, self confidence.

I no longer hate him. He had his own private devils & I kind of feel sorry for him. He made my formative years tough, & there are a myriad of things I would have taught a child that he either ignored or didn't understand, but there's nothing to be done about it now. He's gone, I live on........<shrug>

 

[torqueman2002]

Some of the most amazing and beautiful pictures come from a negative.

Same with some people.

My dad swore and was profane, I do not utter an off-color word around my family. When I'm with the guys, it's a different story.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Brother!!! I found you!!!!

Seriously - same stuff!!


But then mine also taught me that drinking WAY too much kills your marriage, alienates your kids, destroys your liver, then kills you, leaving ruined people and terrible memories in your wake.

Ha ha, Hi Ed.
My Dad taught me the same things about drinking....indirectly.

Actually, BOTH my grandfathers were severe alcoholics. My Dad almost never drank. And I have the...I don't know..."streak" in me. I can hold an incredible amount. So consequently, I don't drink almost at all, ever. I'm afraid of the double-whammy genetics I inherited!

My grandfather's alcoholism screwed up my Dad. He was a good hard working man, but was prone to fits of temper. Never raised a hand to me or my mother but just the same as a small kid he scared me. Later I grew to understand a bit so it kinda taught me.

 

[wraptor]

Dad always tells me I'm a fart smeller, I mean smart feller.
He taught me everything he knows and I still don't know ****.

He is the smartest man I know!!!!

 

[rockwithjason]

mine taught me that you can't scream a car into being fixed!

 

[buzz4041]

Way too much to list. I really miss him.

Same here he was the best.

 

[sillwic9]

My dad has taught me everything from how to be a good dad to how to use a hammer. I remember laying under the astro van they had at the time and him teaching me how to change the shocks. I'm lucky to still be able to call him and ask questions. I was able to learn a lot from his dad too before he passed last year. My love of old tools and cars is my blessing (or curse) from him. Love me both. Here's a vise I got from my grandfather after he passed.

 

[USA Tool Supply]

I love this post. Thanks DangerousDan55. You brought back some good memories

 

[fozzy]

This is a great thread. Love all the wise info. My Dad, and grandfather, were (are) pattern makers. True craftsmen and now a lost art, thank you CAD. At least I have their tools well placed in a few Gerstners.

My Dad is a good person. He taught me to be the same. He let me play with the Shopsmith when I was 8 after teaching me to respect tools. Respect for tools taught me respect for people. He is also a badass. Grew up in Chicago, on the wrong side of the tracks- learned martial arts from some of the hard-hitters in the 60's and could still put a hurttin' down. Survived a year of hard combat in Vietnam, after volunteering. He is my hero. He taught me this early on, something that helped me immensely in my career:

1. Treat every weapon as if it was loaded.
2. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.
3. Never point at anything you don't intend to shoot.
4. Keep your weapon safe until you intend to fire.

And finally, I grew up appreciating the motto of "Semper Fidelis," and have yet to have that motto fail me. Thank you Pop.

 

[sunsation288]

My dad have 70 , and he know a lot of thing , i realy enjoy time with him , i don't know why , but he always have a solution when a problem occur

 

[zmotorsports]

My father taught me about integrity, hard work, self reliance, taking care of what you have and being frugal.

I sure miss him. He has been gone over 11 years now and I sure wish he could have seen how his grandson turned out. I hope he would be proud of how my wife and I have raised our son and what we have been able to accomplish in life.

Mike.

 

[MScott]

My dad taught me to love and respect the outdoors, fishing, hunting and the use and respect of weapons. He was not a DIYer and his only interest in automobiles was for transportation, so any skills I have learned in those areas were self taught. He also taught me to respect women. He never raised a hand to my mother and, to the best of my knowledge never even raised his voice to her. I have tried hard to live up to those ideals in my own life. RIP Dad.

 

[RocketScientist]

My Dad taught me to think. However he didn't know which end of a screwdriver to hold. I was always a puzzle to him, fixing old bicycles, doing repairs around the house, painting furniture with my Mom. She was the one who taught me all the repair stuff, since my Jr High and High School in Massachusetts didn't allow girls to take shop classes (NEVER let a New Englander tell you they're progressives.) I live in Texas now, and thought I'd died and gone to heaven taking 3 semesters of shop classes for adults. Best part? You told them what you wanted to build and they gave you the skills to build it. But it was my Dad who encouraged me to go to these classes. He was a true egalitarian.

 

[TerpnGator]

To detest alcoholics.
Long gone (Age 54) and seldom thought of and never missed.
What a waste.

AMEN BROTHER!!!! AMEN.

I also learned from my dad that being a lifelong criminal will get you dead quick!

I would be amiss if I didn't mention here that I am the man I am due solely to Mr. Alonzo Wayne Taylor born June 14, 1926 in Dry Creek, WV. My Father In Law

He took a 15 y/o boy off the street and showed him how to be a respectable human being. The value of hard work,
Not to be afraid to tackle any task,
And 3 things most important:

"DO IT NICE OR DO IT TWICE"

"NEVER TIME TO DO IT RIGHT, BUT ALWAYS TIME TO DO IT OVER"

LASTLY

"A MAN DON'T LEARN A LESSON LESS IT COSTS HIM BLOOD OR MONEY"

 

[ssentt]

My Father taught many things but most importantly he showed me the qualities it takes to be a real man. I'm sure others can relate to these too. Here are just a few....

Confidence......to believe in myself, not only that you can do what you set out to do, but that you already are what you need to be (even if on the outside it doesn't yet show.)

Courage....... to do what is necessary without showing weakness (even if I'm scared to death.) The courage to look at myself and others honestly. To not fear failure.

Responsibility.....to take responsibility for my actions and the consequences. To not be a victim. Be who you really are intended to be - a leader and victor.

Discipline.....to take charge of my life and what goes on in it. Carry out and complete goals.

Honesty, Integrity, and Kindness....to be honest with myself and others. Hold myself to the highest of standards. Find the fine line between kindness and honesty when necessary. Sometimes, one is more important than the other. Be kind and gentle toward women, children, and the elderly.

Put women on a pedestal. REAL men treat all women with respect and dignity. Most of today's young men don't seem to have a clue about opening a door, giving up their seat, pulling out a chair.

Listen..... We have two ears and one mouth for good reason. We are supposed to be doing twice as much listening as speaking.

Defend the Weak.......Protect and provide for your family and anyone who is being unfairly attacked. Stand tall, stand proud, stand firm against the oppressor.

Inspire.....Real men inspire others and those around him to become the best they can be and never forces through submission. Encourage others gently and not just with words but by your actions.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. If you say your gonna do something than do it ..... damn it. A man is only as good as his word and handshake.

Pride.....be proud of your family and loved ones. You reap what you sow and never be too scared to say I love you.

I'm sure there are many more.....these came to mind first.

 

[MackMan]

Not much to say that hasn't been said. Taught me the value of a good education, combined with real world experience. The value of hard work, and how to think through a problem logically (I'm a 2nd generation engineer). We still have lots of good times.

 

[SchuLace]

My dad hs taught me a lot and thankfully he is still around to teach me more. He has been a mechanic his whole life and when I was younger we butted heads all the time. Now that I am older I understand why. He is stubborn and so am I. He thought me that hard work pays off and to respect and help others. When I was younger I think he thought that I didn't do anything when I was at work but now I work at the same place as him and Now he seems to respect me more. I have had quite a few people at work say I am just like him and it makes me smile a bit. He is a hell of a man.

Every time I see my grandpa I know where my dad got everything. My grandpa has been a farmer his whole life and is one of the hardest working men I know. He's almost 70 and your would never know it. He still is up at 5 and goes to bed at 10:30(can't miss the 10:00 news) and his time in between is spent busting his ***. He taught me that a beer tastes a hell of a lot better after a long day of work.

I am very fortunate to have both my dad and grandpa in my life.

 

[ez-duzit]

What a great thread! It is easy to relate to many who posted.

Perhaps the greatest thing he taught me, by example, was that there is almost nothing you cannot do if you use your head, apply yourself, and are not afraid of hard work.