My father does the same thing

Rainforest Writers week 1

There’s a point where frugal turns futile, when saving something or buying something cheaper doesn’t do anyone any good. My closet full of pants and shirts that I might patch someday isn’t saving the world. It just makes me anxious when I remember it.

My dad’s refusal to buy a new set of tires isn’t making him richer, it’s stealing an afternoon of his retirement when he has to walk an air compressor to the grocery store where my mom got a flat. But there are good intentions there somewhere. I need to think more about the point where my good intentions make life worse for those around me, or the world. It’s easier to obsess, but then it leads to stress. When doing all the maintenance on the house makes me a bad dad, when not flushing the toilet makes me a bad husband.

But waste can be the easy way too. Buying presents instead of spending time. Driving when there’s time to walk. There’s what will make the world a better place for my kids and there’s being a better place for my kids.

When I see my dad with my kids, it seems like he laughs more than he has in years. At least as far back as I can remember. Time is money, but I don’t think that’s what makes him laugh. I think it’s the sense of purpose. Maybe he enjoyed that walk with the air compressor. Meaningful exercise. The same thing I often obsess over.

Heck, a couple months back I got a flat in Naknek and had to do something similarly silly. I had a spare tire in the back of the truck, but only the tire, no wheel. So after jacking up the truck and removing the wheel with the blown-out tire, I carried that wheel and the spare tire to the shoulder of the highway and hitchhiked. Another captain and his deckhand pulled over and I threw my wheel and two tires in the back. They gave me a ride to the shop, where I paid $50 to get the blown-out tire taken off and the new tire put on. Then the kid at the shop offered to drive me back to my truck. I’d been ready to pay another $20 for a cab. My crew did have to take a cab from the airport since I never made it to pick them up.

I’d known for a few years that I didn’t have a spare wheel, but hadn’t deemed it worthwhile to order one or try to find one. And paid for it with two hours and not a little sweat and swearing.

But at CrossFit they flip tires over and lunge around carrying heavy things only for exercise. So maybe my dad and I aren’t as dumb as we look hauling around flat tires and air compressors. It’s certainly more fun than it appears, despite the swearing. And my kids love jacking up cars and helping swap wheels. Who says men can’t multitask?