Imagine a young man, just out of college, 23, married and with a baby boy, just starting his career. He sees a chance to do something he loves and get paid for it. He’s only making about $2.50 an hour and needs a few special tools to do his job.
He saves what he can for weeks but he can only buy one first tool, a used slide rule.
With that tool he finishes projects faster, saves a little more, and he buys other tools to become more proficient at this job. And he uses those tools every day for the rest of his career. With those tools he supports his family, buys a second car, has another child, buys his first home, and sets a little aside for his children’s education, year after year, after year.
His little boy asks him, over and over, to explain how that slide rule works.
And with patience he shows the young boy how to read the little numbers. That magical tool provides answers and solves formulas, all while providing opportunities and providing for that little boy to grow up and find his own way in life. All the while being loved and cared for, protected and taught.
When we come across now obsolete or worn tools, they all have a story.
Whether it’s a wrench, a hammer, or an old yellowed slide rule, it once played an important part in some young person’s life. Every chip, scratch, and worn spot represents blood, sweat, and tears. It’s worth saving if only for the reminder of someone’s labor and sacrifice and love.
That’s what I see when I look at my father’s first tool, his slide rule.
Beautiful story.
Great story and so true. But, if you have a Slide Rule today it’s truly an antique, they don’t make them anymore.
Thanks for the memories.
Yes indeed! My dad was an engineer at Boeing. I use to play with his slide rule all the time and ask him to show me how it worked! Thanks for the great story!
Beautiful story Mark. My Dad had a slide rule. I never learned how to use it. He was such a wonderful and smart man and worked each day to provide for us. Such a great example of what it means to work diligently and faithfully. I wonder what happened to his slide rule after he passed. Thanks for reminding me of my Dad. This would be a good Father’s Day post.
I still have mine, from the time I was attending the Politecnico di Torino, in the early 70s! It is a 25 cm, 26 functions slide rule! A marvelpus object!
Still have mine from college, and it looks like the same model. We didn’t need no stinkin’ calculators.
My dad was an engineer too but although I inherited a love of all things mechanical and taking things apart and hopefully putting them back together a bit better… I never did get to grips with a slide rule works!
My dad was an engineer too but although I inherited a love of all things mechanical and taking things apart and hopefully putting them back together a bit better… I never did get to grips with how a slide rule works!