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I hang around fellas of rather aggressive frames of mind, and whenever we get together, I hear a lot about fighting, killing and blowing stuff up. Now, I’m not condemning any of that. It’s a rough ol’ world out there, and sometimes putting up a mean face is the only way to keep your part of the pasture safe. But, if you’re asking me, I find creating a lot more satisfying.

See, I come from a small town where sons are farmers because their daddies and granddaddies are farmers. Kids I grew up with became men of the fields, tilling soil and sowing crops from dawn to dusk. It’s long, hard work as a farmer, I’ll tell you that, and sometimes things don’t go smoothly. Maybe a farmhand’ll fall sick or a lot of planting needs to be done ‘fore the rain comes. Whatever it is, I’m not so low-down that I wouldn’t help out when trouble’s about. So I know what it’s like out in the fields, when the sun’s lashing your back and you’re working so hard, your whole body goes numb. That sort of thing ain’t to the taste of most, ’specially if they’re city-folk, but all that is worth it in end. When you look out your window and see fields turned green, life springing forth wherever you look and stalks reaching up for heaven, you get to look at all that and say, “I helped make that happen.”

I’m not a farmer myself, since I followed a different path than all the ol’ boys back home. Instead of crop rotation and fertilizers, I found myself handier with blueprints and engines. Turned out that I had a gift with things of a mechanical sort, got fancy degrees for it and everything. Now, putting together an automated dispenser ain’t quite the same as growing corn, but I get a similar sort of satisfaction from my building, taking springs and gears and hooking them together so they work the best they can. I’ll be up to my elbows in grease and oil, but I’ll still be smiling when I’m done, finishing up a new contraption and watching it stand proud, ready for its first day of work.

What I build isn’t just for me alone to use though. What I build is for the team, and them fellas I mentioned earlier may be better at fighting than me, but I’ve got the gadgets that’ll keep them supplied, watch their backs and get them to the fight quicker. I’m not complaining or anything; I don’t need to revel in the glory of being on the frontlines or turning the tide in battles. For me, it’s enough to just keep everything running. Finally, when the battle’s won and I see the boys come back triumphant, I can sit back and smile.

I helped make that happen.

I’m an engineer, son, and this is what we do.