As I looked up, my heart pounded out of fear of what I saw, 100-meter long steel plates that weighed nearly 5 tons were suspended in mid-air. The thought of the cable snapping made my heart unease. I recalled back a show I once saw on television called World’s Toughest Fixes. It documented the accident of a cable lifting 2300 tons of ship engine that snapped and almost killed a field worker at the site. This situation can make even the most intrepid person squeal with fear. Similarly, I have seen these hazardous work sites for myself.
It was the first time I had followed my father to work as he agreed to let me help out on that school break. Previously, I had often thought of what kind of work my father actually does but on that hot Sunday afternoon, my entire perspective had changed. The work of a subcontractor was tedious and required long hours. My siblings and I would rejoice on the days when my father would return home. The thought of my father working in the middle of a vast field under the scorching sun left me speechless. On the day I visited, I witnessed these men working in a very harsh environment under the blazing sun.
My father dealt with pressurized air painting and the tainted fumes explained his red bloodshot eyes I would always see at the end of day. Being the only teen around, I was only assigned to clean up dust on top of these long steel plates but the strain was already killing me. My task was infinitesimal compared to what these men actually do. Their strained backs and inflamed eyes are aching proofs of the strenuous work. Then, I realized how this awful place could be reshaped and how my silly task could be made ten times easier.
When a difficult problem appears, people are constantly finding ways to make it easier and this is proven by the countless inventions throughout history. For instance, the invention of the vacuum cleaner had successfully solved the health issues involving those who used to clean carpets in a closed vessel. I truthfully believe that with the idea I had in hand, I could potentially help to ease the burden of these men I had the pleasure to work with. I started with a very simple idea that is to modify an old broom and the result was pretty uccessful. That experience catalyzed my passion towards a real problem solving situation in which I believe is the sole element of engineering.
When I was in the 9th grade, I engaged in an invention project for a subject called Technical Skills. We were all given a specific task which was to build something just from a wooden block. While most of my friends chose to conform to the guidelines, I turned to a different direction and made my own invention because I find true satisfaction in creating an original piece as a result of our own effort.
After much thought, I decided to build a handy ceiling fan cleaner as I have always found cleaning ceiling fans. After a lot of try and error I finally completed the invention in 6 months and it really works well beside I had added an additional function to it. Throughout the process of realizing my idea, I learned the true art of perseverance in finding a solution just like the great Thomas Edison said that our greatest lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
