Thursday, May 5, 2011

Unbroken





Half-way between the base and the blade, the electric fan has a big crack below the switch box. It was a structural flaw made worse by the constant force when being pushed around to make space inside my small room.

Now the fan won't stand on its own. It tilts downward and falls to the ground because the propeller and its blade guard are heavier than its motor. Despite this defect, the fan would still spin its blade. It still cools the air when the fan is switched on, and as long as someone directs its air flow.

I asked the house-help to wrap electrical tape around the crack. This is to add strength to the already weakened torso. However, the electric appliance still continues to tilt. We then applied feet of  packaging tape around the midsection to reinforce the base adhesive. When this didn't work, contemplating on buying a new appliance became my next  fixation.

Too weak to go out, I could have asked someone to buy me a replacement.  But the fan will be bought on credit and  I am the only one allowed to sign my card. Finding a proxy is out of   the  question and  I  am being torn apart by the guilt that I'd be throwing away something that might still work - albeit dysfunctionally.

Necessity is the mother of all invention and we made the fan stand up by knotting a wire around its rotating mechanism and securing it at the base. We also used a string to loop the motor and fasten it  below the crack.  The fan did stand up this time  and  carried cool air where it is needed.

But we know, it wouldn't be for long.







The  crack continues to tear through the mid-section.  It's just a matter of days if not weeks before the fan tilts again  - this time - becoming too unstable to be used. Should this happen, funds are ready to source a replacement.  But for now,  as long as the electric fan is still working, we can find relief knowing we don't have to spend a dime for unplanned purchases.



The electric fan reminds me of how things are at home lately. With the desktop sometimes failing to display the  video, (one needs to reboot the system until the screen comes to life) to the long-delayed plans of buying an air-conditioner,  (the complexity of installing it in the master's bedroom hampers our progress) to the afflictions, (imagined or otherwise) keeping  us  from  moving forward, one can see through our state of dysfunction, yet we go through life still unbroken.

And embrace our purpose until our time is exhausted.




13 comments:

Spiral Prince said...

You might want to reinforce it better with a thick layer of packaging tape along the body(vertically), kuya joms. It should bridge the upper and the lower body and then reinforced by another layer of tape across. You can also have it fixed in an electric shop. They might be able to replace parts that can be replaced. If there's a will, there's a way! Don't succumb to the dysfunction. :)

Niel said...

I can't really see the problem clearly to give a worthwhile suggestion but have you tried something long and hard to support the body?

~Carrie~ said...

I guess the physical condition of stuff at home represents some aspects of our lives that are not functioning well, but can still work as if 'unbroken'. Either we ignore it, or we have no choice but to let it be, or simply we're waiting for the time of reparation.

Niel said...

Off topic:
We already talked online, your friend. He tried selling but I'm not buying. :)

dario the jagged little egg said...

Sana makabili kana ng aircon sis' hehe wala lang ma suggest : )

green said...

wala bang umaasikaso sa iyo? hmm. aircon nlng siguro effective din.*kahit wala kami nun

Nimmy said...

Grabe! Galing mo talaga magsulat kuya. Pati electric fan nagawan mo ng post :)

Mac Callister said...

tama yan,hanggat may silbi gamitin... :-)

Dabo said...

Yes Nimmy..this post embraced you immediately to its world. saktong-sakto ang delivery ng mga words...though written in first person, one could feel every element in the story speaking on its own, while united in harmony & the urgency of the moment.

--- -

About sa electric fan.. yun lang...(

Mura lang ang e.fan and it could last even for a decade pag naalagaan mabuti.

RainDarwin said...

haaaays hanggang kelan ka mag-eemo? i know this post of is only a metaphorical view of .... "u know what i mean"

Basta hangga't nandyan pa ang eletric fan, at gumagana pa ang PC, pagyamanin mo yan. Bigyan mo ng sapat na panahong kumpunihin. Alagaan mo.

Pagdating ang araw na talagang hindi na gumagana, at least naisakatuparan nyo ang PURPOSE ng bawat isa.

Lika nga, yakapin kita. Hehehe.

A.Dimaano said...

there are a lot of ways and possibilities to fix a broken object. one just has to be innovative and creative.

unless ayaw na talaga nung object pa-fix, wala na talaga tayo magagawa.

Seth said...

Kung ako yan, kukuha ako ng 2x2 na kahoy, kasing haba ng buong spine ng electric fan, saka ko babalutin ng packaging tape.

Mukha na siyang mapuputol eh?

Sean said...

i hope this is really just about the electric fan, mugen.

saw on the twitter window that you're not well. feel better.