Beginnings: 001

Tom's critical "surmise" was a surprise. Stinging. Yet also, and I am pretty sure he had no idea what he had set in train, taking me back to the safety of constructive effect. In experience.

Which I will now relate. In the interests of telling exactly where I am coming from. And how.

I'd been to a conference, given a talk, and next day promised myself a visit to a former surgeon who had retired in the vicinity.

On arrival I found him sitting on a wooden step beside the cottage's sunny front garden. Beside him a couple of hand tools, a stripped down pair of hedge loppers and a very worn, very dark greasy bolt and nut.

"No, no, you finish up," I said when he stood to wipe his hands and grasp mine in welcome. "Besides, I'm curious to know how you do this. Worn out surely—you are fixing them?"

"Sure thing," said he fossicking among glass jars in a wooden box. "Ream or rasp them out .. those holes.. then a bigger bolt with good thread and two nuts and—"

"Two nuts?" I smiled, shaking my head in misgivings at the rudeness.

Evenly he said, "You'll see, go on indoors, make us a cuppa.."

Fifteen minutes later, coffees on a tray, and I saw. He had cleaned out the lopper blades' holes and filed them larger, rounder, with a metal rasp. Then fitted a larger bolt with a washer and nut to hold those blades together, operating via the tool's meter length tube handles.

"Now this," he explained as he fitted another nut, spinning it into place with his index finger, "nut two. When one won't do you make it two. One was why this tool  wore out and I never knew. So.. number one tightens the blades for open-and-shut cutting, number two locks it down. Lock-nut. Least for me, here and now, that's the theory. Here, give 'em a try for me.. put theory to work.."

Worked, showered, dined and conversation after a wonderful dinner in the quiet enclosure of late evening there I was to ask him where the fix it idea came from.

"Wherever did I get it from? The lock-nut idea? Hey, that will take me back. Lemme see now..."

I waited. I'd known about such things from hobby DIY mechanics days , but that was then, now was planned obsolescence, replace the whole tool and keep a workforce in jobs.

Still seeking a firmer line with which to answer he began, "Actually, and thanks again for helping with the hedge, that other pair I was using was new at the weekend. Looked the same, newer but.. same kind of mechanism and.. well, I figured it would probably be a shorter time to the same stuffed lopping as the old pair.. yeah, I can tell from your nod you agree tools aren't made to last.."

"Well you've changed that all right," I said, "a sharpen here and there and the oldies are forever." With a learner's gratitude adding, "At least two of everything makes for twice as long."

My reward was hearty laughter. Throwing his head back to show a muscular tanned neck and firm torso. Reveal how fitness and figure had made his retirement good.

Yet in no wise hinting at anything else about him. Like what followed.. and served to graduate me in what I became skilled at..

Tomorrow: a heartenening story .. untreatable chronic disease and the medical student..