| Remember the good old days when if you | | | | when my wife had to call me at work because |
| needed something done you could hire someone | | | | the car didn't start. She felt really bad when I |
| to do it? You didn't have to worry about anything | | | | showed up and all that had to be done was to |
| like where to find a part or how to repair | | | | jiggle the gear shift into park. Her face was so |
| anything. You used to be able to pull up to a gas | | | | red!I remember that she made me a nice dinner |
| station, where someone would actually come out | | | | to try and make up for it and we talked about |
| and pump the gas for you, check your oil and | | | | how she could learn more about cars so this type |
| clean your windshield. All you had to do was pay | | | | of thing would not happen any more. We started |
| for the gas and be on your way. Now we have | | | | a little weekend training program. I really don't |
| entered the "do it yourself era". You pump your | | | | know that much about cars, but I was able to |
| own gas and check out your own groceries. | | | | teach her all the basics.We sort of worked |
| There's a book on how "dummies" can learn to do | | | | through it all together. I was learning a lot at the |
| anything by just reading a few pages and applying | | | | same time as she was. We changed the oil in the |
| the lessons learned.One of the few things left that | | | | car and played around with the spark plugs. We |
| you can still opt to have a professional do is | | | | also practiced changing a tire so she would know |
| maintenance on your car. You can go through one | | | | how to do that in case she was ever stuck. After |
| of the many drive thrus that offer oil changes | | | | we had practiced some of the basic maintenance |
| and engine maintenance. With the way things are | | | | things with the car I actually caught my wife |
| going, it might be better to start to learn how to | | | | reading a book on how to keep your Chevy |
| do these tasks yourself, not just to save money, | | | | maintained.It was really cool to see her working |
| but who knows how long you will be able to rely | | | | so hard to be independent. Now my wife doesn't |
| on someone else to change things like your oil | | | | mind taking the car to the shop because she feels |
| filter.Women in particular are now starting to learn | | | | comfortable that she will know what they are |
| how to do things that were usually left to men, | | | | talking about when they discuss the cars |
| such as changing the tires or oil, and checking the | | | | problems.Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre |
| different fluid levels in the engine. I remember | | | | Florida. |