“Why?”

Why in the world would you want to be a mechanic? That’s the question I get from everyone. The answer I give depends on the audience. At work, I say "Don't worry - I don't think I'll quit my job to fix cars. It's just a curiosity. Something to get me outside my comfort zone a little bit. Nothing should change.” I want to make sure my bosses don’t think I’m less engaged in my current job. Nothing like a little fear of replacement to help downplay the new schooling.

I also downplay it to my parents and brother. Fear of being the family laughing-stock helps me downplay it here. I’m convinced they think I don’t have the ability to do it. And my fear of exactly that convinces me to downplay it to my family. And my dear grandmother wants me to forget about it because little Rain “needs me at home.”

To my friends, I can tell more of the truth. I’m tired of sitting behind a desk all day. All I do is follow directions. I’m good at it and find no fault with the system. The fault lies with my burn out--I’m not making a difference to anyone or anything. I want to fix some problems, solve some puzzles, get off my ass and get my hands dirty for once. Will becoming a mechanic make a difference in the world? Probably not. All I know is that I’m not doing it now. Perhaps simply learning a new trade will help me become more satisfied in my current job. Maybe it’ll show me that I’m good at being a secretary for a reason and the blue grass on the other side of the collar really isn’t my color. You never know until you try.

Why? In short, my answer is “Why not?”