...I watched my dad work on old junk cars, fix pipes, deal with clogged pipes and much more because calling a plumber, mechanic, or electrician was unaffordable. They did what they had to do to survive. That included learning to keep your pipes from freezing and how to deal with power outages plus much more.

Of course, when my parents grew up dealing with plumbing problems and electrical problems was not an issue because they had neither running water nor electricity. Their hardship was trying to stay warm with only a woodstove, keeping kerosene for the lanterns, and finding the outhouse in the dark.