This past spring semester, I spent a lot of time commuting. I had some trepidation at the start of it, wondering if it was wise to use my big truck to travel 120 miles round trip two times a week to Stockton University and another 80 miles twice a week to RCBC, for a grand total of 400 miles/week. I looked at used Toyota Prius’ on Facebook marketplace, considered the government tax refund offered for electric vehicles, but in the end, my lifestyle is still welded to a truck. And there was no way to guarantee the health of a used Prius’ battery, so I decided to hold on. And my truck got the job done.
Luckily none of the repairs she needed made her undrivable. And now, my professorial obligations have concluded which opened up time in my schedule. So I got started. Finding the parts, watching the youtube videos, consulting with more experienced friends. It was daunting to take her apart, but I am no stranger to opening things up. I have always been curious about mechanical things. In grad school I built a player piano with resin hands moved by small motors (see below). The viewer could vary the speed and there was a certain amount of chance that affected the sound as the hands were mounted on springs. I played with lights and circuitry for other projects. Thinking back on it, trying to make these sculptures was maybe the first time I remember walking into strange stores asking for parts and met with skeptical eyes. “Now, what are you trying to do?” Shoutout to Fazzios in NJ (the used side) they never made me feel that way.
Working on the truck made me think about a lot of things. I got frustrated, felt like I was a dummy, that I was not strong enough. I made some mistakes like cracking a bolt and losing a nut. But then I remembered a lesson that making things has taught me and something I reiterated to my students. When something goes wrong, of course you can react and get upset in the moment, but then you move on. And you pick up the pieces and you figure out how to solve the problem. So many of the young people I met were afraid of making a mistake. And the one thing I know is that is the surest way to not do anything.
I also realized that with mechanical attachments, there is always an answer. If something is making a strange noise, often you can track why. If the part doesn’t fit back together, you have to look for the why, there is probably something not lining up. So much of life is not like that, with a direct causal relationship. So although it was challenging for me, I did appreciate the work for its straight forwardness.