My Honda Fit turned ten on April 1st. I would guess that's fifty in human years but I'm no expert. It's still in great shape; gets over 40 MPG on the road and less than 70,000 odometer miles! There are age signs creeping in. I've accumulated nicks and scratches to show it's no longer fresh off the lot at Russell And Smith Honda. Recently the steering wheel started giving in to the passage of time. It began peeling off the core and breaking apart in small chunks. Not surprisingly, the biggest problem area was the two o'clock hand position which Coach Dallas taught me in Driver's Ed back at York High. Being right handed, that location took the brunt of the wear and tear. The heat in Houston played a part in the deterioration as my car is parked in the sun during the school year and it gets incredibly hot inside. Given that I currently have time for errands, I did the logical thing- I went to WAL-MART.
I will be transparent and admit I did not go with the intention of purchasing a nice steering wheel cover. As you might guess, I bought the cheapest they had in stock, ringing up at twelve dollars and change. In a happy coincidence, it perfectly color matched the interior of my Fit, black and grey! However, when I got back home and tried to install it, it was a no go. It was like fitting a twin size fitted sheet on a king size mattress, even though the casing it came in assured me it was a cinch to put on. Of course, I got flustered; I'm not good at putting stuff together. I have a new wooden laundry rack, also from WAL-MART, in my closet from two years ago that I've never assembled because I can't make the parts fit. There was only one logical source of assistance- YOUTUBE.
In the topic line, I typed in something along the lines of, 'how to put on a steering wheel cover.' Amazing how many videos there are! The first couple I noticed were 10 and 7 minutes in duration. How does it make sense to spend ten minutes watching a video to do something that looks like it should only take one to accomplish? The third video down, however, listed its length at 1:23! The expert who would tell me how to fix my problem was a young lady who looked about twenty. This is basically the extent of what she said- leave it on the dashboard in the sun and it will go right on. Sounded good to me. Guess what? SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! Perfect fit in about thirty seconds. It would have been less but the cover was so hot, I had to put on gloves so I would not burn myself. Problem solved and I feel like an Indy car driver now. You can probably tell my life is not too exciting at the moment.
What's funny is that all the guys in the other videos were.... guys who look like they could work at an O'Reilly's or automotive garage. Without trying to be sexist, the one who looked like she would not fit into that world was the one who told me very simply what I needed to do in a way that I could both understand and carry out. AMAZING! It's not just simple repairs. You find in coaching that some people make it way too complicated. The overwhelming majority of the principles/strategies/skills/developmental guidelines/outlooks/program building I've learned in coaching basketball have come from men and women who most fans have never heard of. Sound advice is sound advice, no matter the source. We look to experts for wisdom when expertise is often simply based on fame. The Bible talks extensively about getting advice. Here's just a few examples:
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Proverbs 19:20
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 12:15
Notice those Scriptures don't mention from whom the good advice came. When it comes to spiritual advice, that's a different matter!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
We can learn from almost anyone if it's the right anyone. I would rather go for teaching help to an elementary teacher than a college professor PhD because lower grade instructors have the more relevant experience as a practical foundation.... and I'm saying this as the son of a fifth grade teacher mom and a PhD college professor dad! Do you know who I've turned to for classroom guidance in tech issues? One of our first grade teachers who was my student in both middle and high school. We need to be careful categorizing advice by the popularity of the source. Instead, the effectiveness of the outcome should be the standard. Just ask the guy with the sweet, new steering wheel cover!
Applicable quote of the day:
To profit from good advice requires more wisdom than to give it.
Wilson Mizner
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
E-mail me at shawley@westburychristian.org
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