What more can a father ask for?

This happened exactly a year ago.

It was a disastrous Sunday afternoon for me and my son.

I have wanted so much for him to ride that bus around the town but the bus was overcrowded and he can't see a thing outside. The flower that he picked-up for his mommy was damaged and he almost cried. He got bitten by a mosquito and was scratching most of the time. On the way back, the bus took almost 30 minutes before coming and was once again full! Aargh. We have to walk a long way back home. Zek was so thirsty and hungry when we arrived home.

I messed up his afternoon to make it short.

But before we went to bed, he blurted this phrase before sleeping."Thank you, Daddy."

That was enough for me to remember that forgetable afternoon.
My son still appreciated my effort.

What more can a father ask for?

Handyman tips

One day I decided to clean our water cooler inside-out from those thick dusts and dirt that have accumulated since I bought it about 2 years ago. So I took out the air-filter first and then the water strainer made of nylon net but then came a tricky part. There are 8 screws fixed into 8 2-inch deep screw studs. My small screwdriver could hardly reach the pan head to turn the screw counter-clockwise in loosening it. After some more minutes, a basin of sweat and a couple of sighs, I then remember something. I went straight to my tool cabinet, opened a plastic case and whoolah! Therein lies my 16.8V battery operated drill with a long screw tip coupling that fit perfectly into the screw stud holes. Now, with relative ease, all I needed was to push the screw tip in and pull the switch. It was done in less than a minute.

From this experience I was reminded of two important life-lessons.

1. Pause and Plan

Most technical problems in China’s manufacturing world can be simply avoided if the concerned parties will just stop to look, check, analyze and solve the problems. But the truth is 95% of manufacturer’s would prefer a “patch-up” temporary solution and go ahead with the production only to find out later that the problem either persisted or the quick solution lead to a worse condition.

The same holds true for our life-decisions that were hastily based on emotions. How many marriages are sputtering and collapsing because one or even both sides have neglected to give deliberate thoughts and preparations prior to that lifetime commitment? How many employees remained unemployed after hurriedly jumping off from their jobs that they perceived to be under-appreciating their values? How many business persons are trying to recuperate from heavy financial losses after mindlessly investing in business that is nowhere near their forte? How many students have flunked their exams because they see themselves as intellectually gifted to fail the test and simply browsed their reviewer. If only we took the time out to discern well and practice foresight, a lot of problems would have been avoided or at the very least, solve at the earliest stage.

Sadly, the saying that “haste makes waste” is true and for some of us, realizations do come late and the damage is already done.

2. There is a right tool for each particular need.

In one of our manufacturer, there was a worker assigned to fix and clamp the cables into an insulated connector. But since his supervisor did not provide him any electrical or pneumatic clamping tool, he tried to do it with a hand plier. “He is resourceful”, you might say but the end-result was that a large percentage of his work output is defective because the wires can be easily detached which will cause safety problem in the product. Rework inevitably has to be done.

Indeed, no matter how we try to do something entirely by ourselves, we are likely to fail if that thing needed to be done requires the right tool to be accomplished. Have you ever tried hammering a nail into a wood by your bare hand and come out successful? Even McGyver uses the tools he sees lying around to awe us with his vast and deep knowledge about materials and their usage.

For single person that are planning to get married, it is for their best interest that they devote time to mature spiritually, financially, emotionally, physically because these will be the tools he will need to keep that marriage intact. For workers that are disenchanted at their present working condition, it is best that they equipped themselves with increased knowledge and training about their dream employment. Business, no matter how unpredictable they may be, is best attended by persons who invested their time and learned talent to a particular product or service. And a student’s best chance to pass the examination will never be about his stock knowledge but his timely and dedicated review of the examination scopes.

So the hammer will always be for the nail. OK, so there may be other “similar tools” that can somehow drive the nail down but it will never be your bare hand.

Simply put, right tool means right (and best) results.

My two handy dandy tips.

God bless.

In Times of Trouble

In one word, one can describe the situation of our world nowadays.

Uncertain

Because if are to believe what the international media is broadcasting everyday for the past weeks or so regarding the domino-like bankruptcy declarations or government buy-outs of some of the biggest investment firms and banks like Fannie May, Freddie Mac, Bear Stearns, AIG, Washington Mutual and Lehmann Brothers, the financial sectors are indeed on the verge of a downward spiral. Stock markets are plunging on record-highs without any relief in sight even with the massive interventions by each country’s government to assure investors of steadying the situation.

In one word, one can describe what is sorely lacking nowadays in the financial sector.

Confidence

If the slide continues, analysts are forecasting then this period might as well be the worst world recession and depression that we will experience in modern times. And just a mention of the word “recession” has been sending fear into the backbones of the business sector that will of course have bad repercussions to the millions and millions of people they employ. When this happens, the common person who has not a slight idea of what is on-going will in the end carry the brunt and suffer all the consequences of the mistakes of a collective few.

In one word, one can describe the root cause of all this mayhem.

Greed

What started out to be the fulfillment of a simple American dream of owning his very own house has escalated (and mutated) into a complex labyrinth of buying, selling, pooling assets, securitization and all those mumbo-jumbo financial jargons we now hear everyday where the end result is a lot of mortgage defaults leading to huge losses for the banks and the so-called investment firms. Now these billion losses are propping out within and outside the United States that is sending the world in jitters.

In one word, one can describe what a normal person like you and me can do at this time.

Hope

I have a trickle investment in mutual funds of a subsidiary firm of one of the ailing big companies which, whether I pull-out or not would not really make of a difference but I will decide to keep it untouched just the same as my simple contribution to stabilize the crisis and all the time hoping that it will not be for naught. I do hope that those who have excess wealth do the same or better yet, do more by doubling their investments to keep the fearful market afloat. I do hope that businesses keep their daily productivity though all these turmoil so that not many people will be unemployed. We do hope that the end of the crisis is near.

In one word, one can describe what concrete action everyone must make at this time.

Pray

In one word, one can describe what our attitude should be towards God despite this trying time.

Trust

May God lead us through these troubling times.