“Eight Years Under the Car… Still Dreaming of a Workshop I Can Call My Own”
Published on HivePostify by @mirabelangel · Sun Mar 29 2026
Eight years ago, I found myself lying flat on the bare ground, staring at the underside of a car, unsure of what I was doing—but willing to learn.
I didn’t have tools of my own. I didn’t have money. All I had was the determination to understand how things worked… and maybe build something for myself one day.
That was how my journey as a lube engineer began.
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At first, everything felt confusing.
Different engines. Different oils. Different problems that needed different solutions.
I made mistakes. I learned slowly. Sometimes, I even doubted if I was in the right place.
But I stayed.
Because deep down, I knew this was something real. Something practical. Something that could put food on my table and give me a future.
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Years passed.
What once looked complicated started to make sense.
I began to understand engines not just as machines, but almost like living systems. How they respond to care. How neglect can destroy them. How the right oil, at the right time, can make all the difference.
Customers started trusting me.
They would come back and say things like:
“You did a good job last time.”
And that meant everything to me.
Because it wasn’t just about the work anymore—it was about building trust.
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But behind that progress… there’s a part of my story that many people don’t see.
I am still working for someone else.
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Every morning, I show up. I do my job well. I give my best.
But at the end of the day, I go home knowing that the dream I’ve been carrying for eight years is still not within reach.
Not because I don’t have the skill. Not because I don’t have the experience.
But because I don’t have the capital.
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It’s a strange feeling.
Knowing you are ready… But still unable to move forward.
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Sometimes, I stand outside the workshop after closing hours and just imagine.
I picture a place of my own.
A small but standard garage. Clean. Organized. Professional.
My own tools arranged the way I like them. My own system. My own rules.
A signboard with my name on it.
Not just a place to change oil—but a place where people come because they trust the work being done.
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That vision has stayed in my mind for years.
It hasn’t faded.
If anything, it has only become stronger.
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But reality has its own pace.
Money doesn’t come easy. Saving is slow. Responsibilities are real.
There are days when everything feels stuck.
Days when I ask myself:
“How long will this take?”
Days when I feel like I should be further ahead than I am.
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Still… I show up.
Because giving up is not an option.
Tags: #hive-153850#life#work#personaljourney#nigeria#story