A Reflection
I think about when I grew up in the 70’s. It was a simpler world then, with a lot fewer distractions.
By Todd Trainor, Founder and Program Director of Bendix Academy
I often sought out time with my dad, eager to use my hands and head to fix things. He gladly taught me how to use tools, demonstrating how things worked, and urging me to learn, fail, correct, and grow.
Encouraged, I would “play” with dad’s tools to fix my bike, tinker with lawnmowers and mini-bikes, build forts, or scavenge parts to create new things.
I look back fondly on those times.
I recall the smell of engine grease on Dad’s rags and the sound of his impact wrench removing an axle nut. Most of all, I remember the grin that would spread on my dad’s face when he watched me triumph, a new skill added to my quiver of talents.
It’s a different world today.
More than ever, we need to find ways to break through modern distractions to encourage our youth to pursue and enjoy the gift of toolmanship lessons from the elders among us.
We must cultivate spaces and places for these generations to come together to spend time exploring, teaching, and learning the mechanical world together.
It’s an idea that’s both a throwback to the past and a look to the future. And it’s one that will build healthy tomorrows not only for countless youth, but for our country as well.
“We must cultivate spaces and places for these generations to come together to spend time exploring, teaching, and learning the mechanical world together.”
– Todd Trainor, Founder, Bendix Academy
Read Toolman Times Vol. 2, No. 1 – Spring 2026 articles below:
Passing Mechanical Self-Reliance On to the Next Generation
The Way It Was - A Reflection by Our Founder Todd Trainor
Our Mission - One Sentence, A Lifetime of Meaning
History of Bendix Academy and Toolmanship Mentoring
Most Important Tools - Patience & Perseverance
Student Scholarship Fund - Spreading Toolmanship
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