I’m what some call a ‘natural engineer’.
What does that mean? Some people have the ability to look at something and understand how it works, and/or envision a solution for a physical need. That’s me. Even as a child, I could look at a machine and understand it – or, if it wasn’t obvious at first, I would stare at it for a bit, and maybe look from other angles, and get that understanding.
Logically, I probably should have studied mechanical engineering in college – but I couldn’t understand how becoming a mechanical engineer would pay that well, given that it seemed a talent that I already had. I instead straddled electrical engineering and computer science, which to me built better on my ‘engineering head’ and math talents. It also fed well into my career in Silicon Valley.
The problem-solving side of me is interesting. Maybe I’m just full of myself but, when I look at a physical problem that needs a solution, I come up with maybe ten answers – and have to weigh them against each other, and weed each out, to choose the best. I think some people just can’t come up with any path forward (but maybe I’m wrong).
Part of my ability to solve things comes from experience. I’ve tried different solutions in the past (for things around the house, for example), and have identified the best one – and I keep those in mind. Maybe this is where the mechanical engineer path would make sense – where experience (and schooling) would have allowed me to solve bigger and more complex physical problems.
My wife has mixed confidence in my engineering ability. I’ve done lots of good, but she remembers the bad. One example is when I was tweaking the washing machine hoses to explore allowing us to move the machine closer to the wall. I un-did, then re-did, the hoses – but apparently didn’t fully screw them on, and they leaked over time, and got the floor wet. Nowadays, I fix things without letting her know – for example, I recently fixed the patio arbor to stop it from sinking and leaning against the house. I told her about it after I had fixed it – because she was more keen on paying someone to fix it, or having it torn down. We now have less urgency in getting the arbor redone.
Anyway, the net is that I have a natural ‘engineer head’ and can envision how things work, and how to fix things, just by looking at them. It’s a good thing – as long as I don’t screw up (and ruin the floor…)