"You're the Expert, I Know"

The other day, I was in the garage, as usual, tinkering with one of my bikes. My hands were greasy, tools scattered around, just the way I like it. That’s when my son came home with a friend trailing behind him, both of them wheeling a beat-up bike.
Before I could even ask what was going on, my son said proudly, “You’re the expert, I know. Can you help him? I know you can do that, if you don’t mind.”
I just stood there for a second, kind of taken aback. Not by the bike, I’ve fixed worse, but by the way he said it. He’s watched me build bikes from scratch, seen me grease chains, adjust derailleurs, the stem and the bar, change tires, and so on. But I didn’t realize just how much it had stuck with him.
So of course, we got to work. I hunched over the bike and fixed the problem, which was mostly with the bottom bracket, freewheel, and chain. I got it running again, but since the ball bearings inside the bottom bracket and freewheel were already pretty worn out, I figure the chain might come loose again eventually.
Even so, his friend was grateful. But what really stayed with me was my son’s quiet confidence in me.
It’s funny. Sometimes you’re just doing what you love, not thinking much about it. But kids are always watching, always picking up more than you realize. And every once in a while, they remind you that what you do really does matter.
Even if it’s just fixing a bike.