“Awe, look at that little mechanic in the making!,” is a comment that Andrew and I regularly hear from people when our son is in tow. In an effort to be polite, our response is often something like, “Well, we’ll see.” We realize people are just making “daddy’s little boy” conversation, however, it’s actually a challenging issue for us.
The whole reason behind opening our own shop is rooted in the fact that it’s a really difficult industry to work in and a challenging industry in which to adhere to quality standards. Andrew saw an opportunity to be his own boss, to create a better automotive repair environment for anyone we might employ and anyone we might have the opportunity to serve.
This roots back to why Andrew even got into the industry in the first place. He had never done much more on a vehicle than change oil and put on a spare tire, so it wasn’t that he started dabbling in auto repair as a hobby, then decided to pursue it as a career. It was more that he really likes helping people in practical ways and he saw an opportunity to learn something that would be a practical service to others.
So, after years in the industry where he experienced many challenges and then went to work for himself, the honeymoon period of the excitement of solving a problem on a car and fixing it has worn off. Sure, there is satisfaction in a job well done, especially when there is a grateful customer involved, but it’s a dirty and often unforgiving job that doesn’t pay well. While he may not put on a big smile and say, “Oh yay! I have a challenging problem to deal with today!,”I can tell you that he certainly finds fulfillment in knowing that he’s been able t provide a practical service for people who need it.
If someone were to ask if we are going to encourage our son into the field, Andrew would quickly tell you “no.” We won’t prevent him from becoming a mechanic if he decides he’s being called into the field, but we aren’t going to point him in that direction. That’s what it really comes down to, is that we want our son to feel free to explore whatever he feels called to. If it’s auto mechanics, Andrew will give him a realistic picture and opportunity to see what that would be like. If it’s teaching or engineering, or dolphin training, or studio art, we’ll help him find whatever opportunity we can to explore that field and to be successful in whatever he does.
Andrew and I, like most parents, just want our child to be healthy, happy, and loved no matter what he decides to do with his life. For now our “little mechanic” is doing what every one-year-old should be doing – exploring how things work in the world around him and where he fits into that world. Should that draw him into auto mechanics, only time will tell.
Marinelli Auto Service is an auto repair shop in Winter Park, Florida. We’ve been serving Central Florida since 2015. We provide maintenance and repairs for a variety of makes and models.