The backwards kid

Categories:DIY, Mechanics
Jan

I grew up in the 60s and 70s. Political correctness hadn't been invented, yet, and even if it had been, my family would never have bought in to the craze. We didn't have a lot of extra money, so we didn't spend much on entertainment. We had to create our own.

That meant that if you did something odd at my house, you'd be teased and/or laughed at. No one ever thought there was anything wrong with that. It was just free entertainment.

I had the unfortunate and unwanted skill of putting my clothing on backwards not just once, but many times. I don't know why this simple activity was so hard for me to figure out, but it was. And it earned me the nickname of the The Backwards Kid. I still struggle with this sometimes today. Yes, I still do put my clothing on the wrong way. At least now, I can tell that I've put it on backwards and fix it.

This wrong-way/backwards mentality has manifested itself in other things, too:

  • If there is a wrong turn, I will take it. About once every 10 years, I am right when suggesting someone turn a specific direction, but my entire family is so used to my giving wrong directions, they turn the opposite way, so we end up taking the wrong turn anyway.
  • I have to stop and think which way is right and which is left.
  • I have been known to show up for appointments on the wrong day, even the entirely wrong week.

Obviously, something is not wired right in my brain.

Putting the chrome on the bike exhaust

Putting the chrome on the bike exhaust

Recently, I was working with my husband on his motorcycle—my first foray into auto mechanics. I was putting the chrome back on over the exhaust pipes. I asked him to take a look at one of the pieces of chrome because it didn't look right on my side. Sure enough, I'd put it on backwards. As if that wasn't bad enough, I put the piece of chrome on the other side on backwards right after that.

I used to think that someday I'd grow out of this annoying habit, but I am forced to admit that if it hasn't changed by now, it probably isn't ever going to. Oh, well. At least I'm still providing entertainment!

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