One day my mom asked “Danny, why is there a bearing in my freezer?” See, I attended the local university and though I had moved out of my parent’s house, I still worked on projects at their house. And the project at the time was rebuilding this 1975 Jeep CJ-5.
That day’s task was replacing the Timken tapered roller bearings in the front differential. It was high priority to fix the 4 wheel drive since the ape-like beings colloquially known as “previous owners” had allowed sand and water into that differential housing, which I discovered when I opened the inspection cover.
I further discovered that all the bearings were destroyed when I pulled out the gearing and they fell out of the shattered cages like a hand full of quarters. But with the right tools and perspective on what I wanted, I could fix it.
A Cold Saturday Morning
I didn’t start out as a software engineer. I started as a mechanic. So recently when I was asked to spend a morning repairing cars for single mothers and the elderly as part of a long running community outreach at a church in Albuquerque, hey, I was in my element.
I’ll save the details of that day for a future post but one thing during setup of the oil change area caught my eye and seeded this post.
This is a song clip from the band Crumbächer in 1986:
'Cause when everyday's a constant uphill climb
The savored joy of living can get lost
Within the bittersweet of time
Why Car Tire Ramps Matter
In short, because they’re stepped and not continuous. This is important because it gives the system a resting stability while still accomplishing the goal (lifting the front of the car off the ground so it can be worked on). This is an important safety decision before you put your torso and head beneath the engine to wrench on it.
This approach has a practical application in life as well. Here are a few drawings to illustrate (I’m definitely not a Sal Khan grade artist so cut me some slack, Jack.)
Above is the typical process of achieving a goal from 1 to 3: we start at the bottom and head up the ramp of tasks toward the top. The green arrow indicates the force opposing your effort along the path. It is unrelenting and often becomes unbearably tiresome. You may give up in frustration before reaching the goal.
Now, lets redefine the effort profile as including plateaus where we can rest. Notice how the green arrow has changed direction and is no longer trying to slide you back toward the start? In addition to giving you a chance to catch your breath and admire the scenery, the resting spots 1, 2 and 3 also permit reevaluation of goal along the path to achieving it.
When I Used This
I used to run half marathons back in southern California. At the urging of a friend I quite literally just decided one day to start training to run my first one. Did I start with 13 miles right off that bat? No but I do remember the first time I reached 7 miles without stopping and how great I felt. Eventually that led to a few June mornings in Oceanside at the Camp Pendleton Mud Run. I may look dirty in this photo but trust me, compared to other photos I’m the most happy – because I can see the finish line 50 feet away.
You might be in the mud run of your life right now, crawling on your hands and knees. You’re missing the savored joy of living and just marking time.
Though I could bail out of that muddy race any time I wanted, maybe your situation won’t allow you to. When the only way out is through, consider redefining the task to include a plateau where you can pause, rest and gather your wits. Reevaluate before you reengage. Perhaps even change the approach to reach the goal. And don’t forget your friends who will help you if you set aside your I-am-an-island mindset and just ask.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. The way my creative brain works is to assemble real world examples into a story that explains what I am wrestling through myself. If you think it could be helpful to others feel free to forward the email or link. And if you don’t already subscribe, please do so.
Dan D.
“Home.” - My friend JM, a retired commercial and military pilot, when asked about his favorite place to fly in the entire world.