The shop door slammed as I walked over to the workbench. I laid out everything I needed to build a winning NASCAR: a wooden chassis and body, plastic wheels and a spoiler, metal axles, and a sheet of stickers. My dad had acquiesced to my begging him to take me, an enthusiastic eight-year-old car guy, to Home Depot to add to my collection of toys.
I gave the instructions a cursory glance before casting them aside. The finished product seemed simple enough. Instructions? Who needs them?
First, the wheels had to go on the axle. I arranged the components and began slamming away with the hammer. On my first attempt, the tool slipped on the slick plastic wheel, gouging a dent in the workbench. On my second, the hammer hit my fingers. Oops.
I tried more carefully, snugly fitting the wheel into the axle as I fought back tears. Excited that I was doing something properly, I affixed the second wheel and inspected my craftsmanship. One …show more content…
“It’s okay. I saw you were a little too excited. Just next time, be a little more careful and a little less haphazard with your work.”
I mulled over that word. Haphazard. I had never heard it before, but it included the word “hazard,” which I knew wasn’t a good word. Judging by the shabby state of my NASCAR, I concluded that “haphazard” meant sloppy or imprecise.
Before that day, I was prone to throwing caution to the wind in endeavors I pursued, with little care for the end results. I was diligent, but not precise. Had I not learned the hard way what “haphazard” meant, I wouldn’t have learned to slow down, or pay attention to guides or cues at my disposal, or take pride in my efforts. As I move through life, I must work to remain cool, calm, and collected when completing assignments, collaborating with others, and embarking on projects made of wood or otherwise, as opposed to completing tasks in a haphazard manner.
In effect, I must watch where I place my hand before I lay down the
I gave the instructions a cursory glance before casting them aside. The finished product seemed simple enough. Instructions? Who needs them?
First, the wheels had to go on the axle. I arranged the components and began slamming away with the hammer. On my first attempt, the tool slipped on the slick plastic wheel, gouging a dent in the workbench. On my second, the hammer hit my fingers. Oops.
I tried more carefully, snugly fitting the wheel into the axle as I fought back tears. Excited that I was doing something properly, I affixed the second wheel and inspected my craftsmanship. One …show more content…
“It’s okay. I saw you were a little too excited. Just next time, be a little more careful and a little less haphazard with your work.”
I mulled over that word. Haphazard. I had never heard it before, but it included the word “hazard,” which I knew wasn’t a good word. Judging by the shabby state of my NASCAR, I concluded that “haphazard” meant sloppy or imprecise.
Before that day, I was prone to throwing caution to the wind in endeavors I pursued, with little care for the end results. I was diligent, but not precise. Had I not learned the hard way what “haphazard” meant, I wouldn’t have learned to slow down, or pay attention to guides or cues at my disposal, or take pride in my efforts. As I move through life, I must work to remain cool, calm, and collected when completing assignments, collaborating with others, and embarking on projects made of wood or otherwise, as opposed to completing tasks in a haphazard manner.
In effect, I must watch where I place my hand before I lay down the