A sign of intelligence or desperation is when one is faced with a problem he thinks ‘out of the box’ for solutions especially when normal, immediate answers are not readily available. The perfect example of this statement was reported recently in a HERALD column about a then youthful Bob Braddy who was faced one night with a problem with the uncooperative lights on the $20 automobile he drove to take his date on a visit to a local eatery. Things went well until the night return home. As he reported the car lights went dark and the only available light was a flashlight, but there was no way to secure it so as to provide focused illumination except for his date to sit on the front fender and hold the light for the return home. That was nervy, desperate and innovative.
But I was talking to a friend who had read the column and he stated he had a similar automobile break-down experience but his had to do with a fuel pump that stopped pumping. What to do now that the car proved totally uncooperative?
The two motoring in their stylishly but not mechanically perfect convertible were on their way back from a rather long distance journey, CLEMSON, when the motor started acting up near home, first erratically and finally stopped completely. There the two boys were stranded on a lonesome little travelled road with extremely limited resources (they were broke) with no help in sight and darkness approaching. They were desperate but had something to compensate for that: resourcefulness.
Fortunately the weather was warm, the top was down and the gas tank cap was easily reached from the back seat. The narrator of this tale evidently had some knowledge of the fuel pump problem and how to correct it with no outside help and with absolutely no tools. What do you think was his plan?
The mechanical fuel pump used ‘pressure’ to move the gasoline from the tank to the motor so he reasoned correctly that all that was lacking was ‘pressure’ to move the fuel, then why could he not take a deep breath, place his mouth over the gas tank outlet and provide the necessary force? Being young and with large capacity healthy lungs, he solved the problem at least for a short distance at a time. The strategy worked and they arrived home.
Tired and out of breath.
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Bill Lee, PO Box 128,
Hamer, SC 29547
