I had a moment recently where I realized that I am old.
Sure, 35 years old isn’t “old” in many ways, but a conversation with my mother made me realize I am no young pup.
It wasn’t the fact that I am married, have three kids and a mortgage that made me feel old. No, it was a question she asked me.
“Who’s your appliance repair guy?”
Having had experience with broken appliances, I grabbed my phone and told her who “my guy” is and gave her the phone number.
And just like that, I realized I am old.
Being a home owner makes you many things, including being someone with a list of “guys” that can fix any problem you may encounter.
Have a broken appliance? Call this guy.
Have a broken furnace? Call that guy.
Your car broke down on the side of the road? Let me call my guy to come give you a tow.
I imparted some of this newfound wisdom on vacation a few weeks ago.
Sitting around the camp fire one night, our conversation somehow got around to realizing we’re not as young as we once were.
Some of the signs of aging mentioned including thinning hair lines, nagging pain from old sports injuries, and how “10 p.m. is the new 1 a.m.”
“I can top all of that,” I said. “I have a list of ‘guys’ I call when something breaks down around the house.”
Silence from those around the campfire.
After what seemed like an eternity, a voice broke the silence.
“You’ve just blown my mind,” said my brother-in-law.
We started comparing notes, and he also has a list of go-to contractors, service techs and auto garages. And for years, he’d been mentioning these people to us without even thinking about it.
“Damn, we’re old,” he said.
Last week, I was chatting with a few other parents while picking my kids up from school. Our conversation turned to cars, with each of us stating our preferred auto mechanic.
Oddly, the three of us go to the same garage. The reasons: quality of work, price, value and commitment to the community.
One parent mentioned how she only has to go a few times a year – oil changes and seasonal tire changes – and loves the service. I mentioned how they always make time to get my vehicle in, when needed.
“However, I feel like I should have shares in the company based on how much I’ve spent there,” I said, referring to my one vehicle that, up until the past year or so, was full of issues.
The final parent took the cake.
“They send us a gift basket every Christmas,” she said. “I guess we spend a lot of money there!”
The conversation got me thinking about the rest of the “guys” on my list, and why I chose those “guys.”
It came back to the same four reasons I go to the garage I go to: quality of work, price, value and commitment to the community.
All of my “guys” are local, employ local residents and support the community in various ways.
They may not necessarily have the lowest price for all of their services, but the value I get from them outweighs that.
When I call, they know who I am and do their best to take care of my problem as quickly as possible. And they aren’t afraid to share some knowledge.
My furnace guy, for example, had to wait for a part to come in last winter when my furnace was on the fritz. In a nutshell, the furnace would turn off randomly. Knowing it was cold and I can hold my own with tools, he showed me how to safely and correctly restart the furnace. He didn’t have to do that – he could have easily charged me a service call to come back every day – but instead he did right by me and kept us warm. He came to put the new part in a few days later, and only charged me for the one service call.
That’s value you can only find in a small town. And that’s why he’s my furnace guy.
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Mike Wilson is the editor of Midwestern Newspapers. Comments and feedback can be sent to mwilson@midwesternnewspapers.com.
