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Wrenches, Flour, and Second Chances
by Alan J Winters

I was raised where engines hummed and flour flew,
Montevideo skies, small-town truths I knew.
Dad and Grandpa, hands of steel and grace,
Taught me how to fix, not just replace.

A wrench too big, a heart wide-eyed,
In grease-stained light, I stood with pride.
Mom and Grandma, warmth in every pan,
Showed me how to care the softer plan.

School was cruel, its lessons rough,
But bolts and blades were kind enough.
Machines spoke clear when people lied,
So I found my peace where sparks reside.

The Army called in ’88,
I learned to rise, not curse my fate.
Discipline carved through pain and noise,
Resilience born from broken toys.

Jobs came fast the list runs long:
Sheet metal, farms, and restaurant songs.
Concrete, carpentry, gas station grime,
Each one a verse in working-time.

Now I mend what others toss,
Old mowers, weed whips, engines lost.
I give them breath, a second spin,
Just like the life I’ve lived within.

Four times Dean’s List, books in hand,
A late-bloomed scholar taking a stand.
Through blood and pressure, bipolar days,
I’ve walked through fire and found my ways.

Three rings behind, one love that stays,
Seven years strong through storm and praise.
Six children grown, one grandson bright,
Love takes work and wrenching right.

So here I stand, not shiny new,
But built from bolts and battles too.
Strength is quiet, worn and true,
In grease, in grace in starting anew.
Built to Last”

Some people are born into wealth, but I was born into work. In my family, you learned to use your hands before you could spell your name. The smell of oil and metal was my childhood, and the sound of an engine turning over for the first time still feels like home.

“Rebuilding: A Mechanic’s Life”

Engines break down. So do people. I’ve learned to rebuild both with patience, grit, and a little faith that the parts will fit again.

“From Montevideo to the Dean’s List”

I never imagined that the same hands that rebuilt engines in a small Minnesota garage would one day type college
essays and make the Dean’s List four times. But life has a way of surprising even the most stubborn mechanic.

“One Part at a Time”

I’ve spent my life taking things apart and putting them back together engines, jobs, relationships, and even myself. Nothing ever stays broken for long, not if you’ve got the right tools and the will to try again.

I grew up in Montevideo, Minnesota, where my father and grandfather were both mechanics. From the time I was five years old, I was right there in the garage with them, learning the trade, getting my hands dirty,
and discovering the satisfaction
of fixing things that were broken. My mother and grandmother taught me something just as valuable how to cook and bake and to this day,
I love spending time in the kitchen, creating meals that remind me of home.

School wasn’t always easy. I was bullied, but those experiences taught me resilience. After high school, I joined the Army and served from 1988 to 1996, which became one of the most shaping periods of my life. Since then, I’ve worked in just about every kind of job you can imagine: restaurants, sheet metal shops, gas stations, farms, concrete work, carpentry, and as an automotive mechanic. I even owned my own small engine repair shop and now focus on refurbishing outdoor lawn and power equipment.

I’m currently earning my bachelor’s degree in business and have made the Dean’s List four consecutive times something I’m proud of. Life hasn’t been without challenges.
I live with bipolar disorder, high blood pressure, and diabetes, and I’ve already had back surgery with neck surgery on the horizon. But through it all, I keep going.

I’ve been married three times, and my current marriage seven years strong has given me a sense of stability and
partnership I deeply value. I’m the proud father of six children and a grandfather to one amazing little boy.

My life has been full of hard work, tough lessons, and second chances. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that no matter how many times life breaks down, you can always rebuild just like an engine, one part at a time.