My son came back into the house with a sad look on his face. The chain of his bicycle had come off and he came to get help. He’s not yet outgrown the idea that his dad and I can fix everything and since I was the “engineer” on duty, I had to fix his bike.
I made a quick trip down memory lane and stopped at the spot where I was an adventurous kid who had a bike. I recalled the know-how for solving chain problems and returned to work on my son’s bike. In a few minutes, I was done. Then I let him inflate his tyres to the point his muscles could handle. I finished up and gave the bike back to him. He rode off with joy and came round to say ‘thanks Mum, my bike is really moving well now’.
You see, my dad taught me to fix my chain whenever it came off. He furnished us with lubricants for the moving metallic parts and a pump for our tyres. It seems he didn’t want minor issues to keep us from enjoying our bicycle rides. Now I have to pass those skills on. My mum on the other hand taught me to bake and decorate cakes. Those skills came in handy as a means of livelihood during my later years in University and before I got my first ‘juicy’ job. Now I have to pass them on.
I wonder what useful skills you acquired from your parents, guardians, older siblings or friends… skills that have helped you along your way. Aren’t you grateful they took the time to teach you? You can empower someone else by passing those skills on – a niece or nephew, your son or daughter, a younger friend or relative….
Make a decision today and PASS IT ON!
Picture Credit: www.consumer.ftc.gov
