My hardworking buddy, My Children’s home work savior, My office work partner……My trusted friend, died last week. He just gave up a week back, on a bright March morning. I fondly remembered the time when I had met him first and concluded that this guy has left me for good, after all everyone has an age. Only 6 months back I had taken him to his hospital, the for a similar problem, and he came back rejuvenated. Never did I think his second life would be so short. Everyone goes away one day, don’t they. He would be no different. Yes, My Laser Printer stopped taking in papers all of a sudden. He died and here I am, grieving.
I started my Khoj…to find a replacement. I pored over number of websites, from Canon, Epson, HP, Brother, Samsung….. Should I buy a costly laser printer again?, or will a cheaper Deskjet do the trick, what about the running costs, should I go in for an all in one printer…..dilemma dilemma dilemma! They all had so much similar characteristics that, finding a w
ife would have been an easier task than choosing the right printer. So this dilemma kept me, postponing the final verdict and I kept waiting for the right day when I would be totally free to think over it……and that day would never come. Have you had such a day?
My daughter comes home, today, after school and announces, “Papa, I want a world map”. With my trusted friend gone, I had to think of how to buy it from the nearest stationery shop. For a One rupee printed sheet, one has to, at least spend 20 rupees of petrol. But fetch it, I will have to…for a child understands no economics. After all even the Finance Minister doesn’t understand it much either…what with the flip flop over taxing EPF – Why announce it in the first place, when you have to withdraw it.
That Force – of a daughter’s request regarding World Map, gave the necessary impetus for me, to get up and explore three options before me. 1. Buy the Printed Sheet or 2. Get another Printer or 3. Get the dead Printer working. Option 3 looked difficult, but it forced me to try to see what went wrong. Off I went near the Printer. I scratched my head and thought for a while. Why on earth would this printer not take in the paper?
Eureka! Could there be a blockage in the path. I asked my son to bring a torch, and I explored. From the top I made no headway. Then I kneeled in front of it, in prayer, and I inspected from the front. There, I saw the culprit. A small paper stopper from the paper feed had dislodged from its place and blocked the feed pathway. I quickly pulled it out. The Dead Printer sucked in the papers immediately and hummed its way to print my daughter’s much needed World Map. Never did I feel so much happiness at hearing the paper pass through the roller with that sweet sounding swoosh….saving me at least five to ten thousand bucks. No mean saving!!
That set me thinking. When was the last time I saved a couple of thousand bucks. Not long ago. The health faucets in all the three bathrooms started leaking, all at the same time. I should compliment, Jaguar for such precise, quality engineering. They all lasted for exactly the same number of years, give or take a day. I called in the apartment complex plumber. He declared-“These are high quality Jaguar. They can’t be repaired. Only replaced”. I was forlorn. Each one of them cost about 900 bucks. I couldn’t stand leaky taps. So off I went to the showroom. I was selecting the faucet, when I casually asked –“Why are these stuff so costly, if they can’t be repaired?” The salesman gave me a funny look and asked me “Have you complained to Jaguar”. My turn to give him a funny look – “You mean they can be repaired?” “I wouldn’t know, but at least complain to them. Here is the toll free number” said he, giving me a scribbled piece of paper. I dialled the number, some body picked up, in a very professional way took my complaint and said I would be attended to in 48 hours. I couldn’t believe my luck. I ran out of the store. I can imagine the sales man getting a mouthful from the owner for losing out on a sale of Three Thousand.
Next day a decent looking gentleman from Jaguar drops in, asks me about the issue, inspects the bathrooms and almost immediately, sets out to replace the washers. Sheepishly I asked, “Tell me how much you would charge for each faucet, before you open it up”. As a matter of fact without stopping his work, he said-“Quite affordable sahab, Rs 15/- for each washer” I couldn’t believe my luck. Here I was spending just 45 rupees as against what I would have otherwise spent – 3000/-.
How many of us just blindly decide that things are to be replaced without ever thinking if we can make it work? How many of us have lost money when we could have easily saved thousands? One doesn’t necessarily have to be an engineer. Basic logic and scientific reasoning would do the trick. It is always good to have a few useful tools handy at home and Do it Yourself many a times. There is a Wizard in each one of us, just believe in yourself, try till you give up.
There, that day, I learnt a lesson. Trust your instincts. Think that you Can Do It. Always question, take a Second Opinion. Don’t always trust the so called “experts”. Always ask “Why can’t it be done?” Ask and You will be given. Good questions open most doors.
This is true not only for your house, but also for everything in life. Never Give Up! Fix your problems,
Fix your relationships too, Apologize to the guy you fought with, to your spouse for being unreasonable, to your parents for not calling them often.
Keep asking yourself…..Why can’t it be fixed? And Take Action.
Happy Fixing my dears…..
Be Dr.Fix It! Won’t You?
In anada, it is normal. Luckily for us everything is standardized, hence one washer size fits all faucets, irrespective of the make. The hardware stores have sales associates, who are well trained and can answer your questions about ‘How to ,,,’
They also conduct weekend classes about major and minor project one can undertake at home.
On reaching Canada, I realised as to why we were taught crafts in school and workshop and engineering drawing at NDA. All those skills came handy here, to execute minor and major repairs at home. In case you call for assistance, they charge you $50 for the call and then the labour cost.
We changed the counter-top of the kitchen to granite and Marina wanted the back-splash also to be changed as the colour was not matching. Off we went to the tiles shop and bought the tiles and I called someone to fix it. The quote for labour was $500, but the tiles had costed us only $400. So I went on to the Youtube, went through a few clips on how to do the tiles and in two days I did it.
To read more about such executions, please read my Blog http://rejinces.net/2014/07/15/god-helps-those-who-help-themselves/