I am participating in 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes 2019 (all of my submissions can be found here).
Today’s prompt is: SENSE
Common sense is in short supply these days.
I’m looking at myself as much as anyone else, to be clear.
When we talked recently, my son listed three problems he was having with his car. Not unexpected, since it’s a slightly older car that we bought used in the first place. Although taking care of the issue is his responsibility (as well as the costs), I still couldn’t help but worry as a mom. He needs his car to get to work and, more important, he just loves his car.
When I texted him the next day to ask the status, he replied that he had fixed one problem (brake lights that wouldn’t go off), taken care of another (a malfunctioning O2 sensor) with a relatively affordable part and refilled the power steering fluid, which had taken care of the power steering issue for now.
Much of the reason he could deal with these automotive issues himself has to do with his course of education after high school. He did a 9-month automotive collision course. During his time in school, he started working for a car dealership, where he still works as an estimator.
As someone with six years’ worth of formal education (a BS and an MS), which cost much more than a nine-month automotive collision course, I am reminded frequently that he made a good choice. It’s a good choice for him and for the future people whose cars he will fix, for his debt load (which is much smaller than it would have been with traditional schooling).
Mostly, I am impressed that his school choice in combination with a healthy dose of common sense are helping him solve his problems in an affordable way!
Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
Elizabeth McCulloch says
I like this very much – the concept, and the fact that you wrote it in a free write! Good for you.
Tara says
Common sense is in short supply is so true. Such a helpful post.