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Machines

People can be smart in many areas. Some are smart in Geography, History, money matters, politics, health, nutrition, economics, mechanics, etc. But there are others who are not smart in any of the above, but are especially ignorant in one or more areas. My area is mechanics.

When I take my car to the garage, I have the garage mechanic write down for me just what he did, so I can tell my brother-in-law, and get his approval. Keeping my car in order is in the hands of my garage man. Since Lloyd's death, I had to learn to operate my lawn mower and snow blower. Both of these machines have the electric start, and should be easy to operate, but would you believe, the salesman who sold me my snowblower had to write down No. l, 2, 3, and 4, telling me exactly what to do to get it started. Guess what! It works!

For a long time I told myself I was not going to learn how to change the oil in my machines. I felt I didn't have to learn to do that anymore. However, last spring (1995), I decided to try to change the oil in my snowblower before I put it away for the winter. I got out my book, located the right page, assembled my equipment, and started to do everything the book told me to. I got stuck I couldn't find the oil drain. I checked the book and my blower again and again. I never did find it and finally had to have someone change the oil for me anyway.

There are many things around the house that require a little fixing from time to time, be it doorknobs, window shades, batteries to be replaced in smoke alarms, pictures to be hung, and so on and on. These are things that require a little common sense. However, as a motto that I have seen says, "Common sense is not all that common".

Ordinarily, I am not afraid to try to learn something new. I work on my computer, -that's new. I go line dancing, -that's new. I took up bowling, -that was new. I went back to school when I was 50 and got my degree, -that was new. But I draw the line when it comes to changing oil in my lawn mower or snow blower. I leave that to someone with more common sense!