Spring Fling

No, this blog post is not going to be about collegiate raucous and rowdy times down at Daytona Beach during Spring Break. It is about the my Honda Civic's trunk spring for the hatch coming undone. It was the second week of school. Things were still ramping up to cruising altitude. I was exhausted and not sleeping well. On one particularly hot and humid afternoon,  after picking up some groceries, my Civic's trunk would not close.

It is the kind of malfunction that can be the straw that breaks the camel's back type of deal. Like, "Really, my trunk won't close?" It is not easy to come up with something to keep the trunk in place until it can get fixed. Plus, there is a trunk light that can drain the car battery if the trunk is not closed fully.

I was tired and hot and thirsty and hungry. Plus, I was dressed in my work clothes. I did spot a cylindrical piece of plastic on the trunk's floor. Initially, I didn't connect that it was related to the trunk not closing but I soon uncovered that it was the spring to the trunk's hatch inside the small plastic cylinder. I called the Honda Dealership and it was one of these "We can schedule you in a week type of scenario."  Plus, I read online how a dealership will typically replace the whole hatch mechanism and not just the spring. The idea of paying $200 for parts and labor was not cool. The trunk's latch spring was fine.

I watched a few YouTube videos but only got part of the insight that I needed. I observed that the plastic fitting around the hatch could be pulled off, giving me access to the levers inside of the hatch mechanism. I went inside my house, changed to grubby clothes, put glasses on, got a cold drink of water, and worked on re-attaching the spring. I could roughly see what needed to be done but it was a tricky maneuver to hook up both sides of the spring. I toiled for about 20 minutes to no avail. I didn't have the training, tools, and technique to do this job.

I looked at the clock and saw it was about 20 minutes to 5:00. I surmised that most garages start closing around 5 so I decided to head out to a local automotive repair shop. I do go to the dealership for complex repairs. For stuff like this, it is overkill. Fortunately, the Honda Civic is a well-built car where repairs have been few. I pulled up and the local mechanic was willing to take a look and do the job. He too struggled a bit to figure out how to do it. For five or so minutes out in the parking lot, he couldn't re-attach the spring. He asked that I pull my car around, closer to his garage, so that he could pull out his tools.

He had to loosen the screws attaching the plastic fitting of the trunk to the car's frame to give him some more room to work.  With more openness, he pulled out some needle-nose pliers and got one side attached and then the other. It was a delicate operation and he pulled it off. I asked him how much he wanted to be paid and he said 5 bucks. I gave him $10 and called it a day. He told me his name and said that I could stop by anytime if I needed a repair. I wrote down his name for future reference.

It was an interesting experience. Not an earth-shattering revelation or anything at that level. I had some insight into what needed to be done but not the complete start-to-finish skill. I have tried to up my mechanical game as it has never been a strong point. But, I push my limits to try and figure stuff out so that I can more intelligently assess what is still beyond me. I do what I can. Steps I Did Right: So, I avoid going to the dealership and getting nailed with a giant bill. I find the spring and see it is not a difficult job for someone who has the background. I walk away paying ten dollars.

I reflected on this experience--that we all have different skills, abilities, and experiences. Sure, I have a Ph.D., have written a book, and get my essays published in national media. But, a spring for a car trunk is still too much of a stretch. I wanted to give the mechanic more money than he asked for as a tribute to his skill. Again, not a huge deal but there is a common respect that we need to show to each other and give honor where honor is due. He wasn't looking to screw me. He was very helpful and cutting me a break, letting me come up to his shop towards closing time and not resorting to an appointment a week away, and a dropping of a big unnecessary bill.

I appreciated his help and appreciation goes a long way to soothe class divides and animosities, stoked for political advantage. Trades people have been disrespected and demeaned and sometimes they stick it to over-educated eggheads like me in retaliation. So, rather than stoke the flames of our differences, how about forging a respect for how we need our differences to do life well. I guess it is a simple as that.