My Dad, The Engineer, Part 1

My Dad, the Engineer, circa 1972.

My Dad is an engineer, which means that as a kid, whenever I would go to him with even the simplest of questions, I usually got encyclopedic material in return. This made for a lot of eye rolling on my part, particularly in my teenage years. In my early 20's, however, as I was living away from home for the first time, my whole notion of my Dad changed--with a single phone call home. The story (slightly embellished) goes something like this:

I was attempting to cook something and discovered that the eggs I needed to use in my recipe had expired the day before. Worried that I might die from salmonella or botulism or some other horrid food borne illness, I decided to call home to ask my mom her advice as to whether or not I should use said eggs. Dad answered the call.  

"Is mom home?"

"She's out shopping. Can I help you with something?" he asks.

Now, this is a dangerous situation and I can sense it. It's just a question about an egg. Do I risk the chance of getting a lecture over something so simple? On the other hand...Dad doesn't cook a lot. What could be the harm? I proceed cautiously and explain the situation. Eggs. Expired yesterday. Will they kill me? Yes or No.

There is a pause on the other end of the line. And then a question. 

"Do you know how bridges are built?" he asks. 

(Insert major eye roll here.) Bridges? Really Dad? It's just a question about an egg...

"No Dad. Tell me how bridges are made." I concede. 

What followed, however, was such a simple and appropriate answer (and lesson in civil engineering) that it occurred to me, in my twentieth-something year, that my Dad was pretty much a genius.

He explained to me that civil engineers build in a safety factor when designing bridges. A sign posted next to a bridge announcing that it can support 1 ton of weight, for example, is actually built to hold more like a ton and a 1/2 of weight. And so it was (most likely)** with the expiration date stamped on my carton of eggs. It (most likely) included a safety factor and therefore was (more than likely) safe to use.

**Disclaimer: Although my Dad's egg/bridge analogy was merely a hypothesis, and was never scientifically proven--and still isn't to this day-- I totally bought it.

I had a whole new level of appreciation for my Dad after that phone call, for not only did I not die of food poisoning, I also gained a lot more confidence traveling over bridges, and for life in general. So, thanks, Dad, for being the nerd that is you. I love you.