Vinh the Mechanic
Going nowhere fast but the wheels are still spinning, without gaining any friction it’s hard to be driven. When you’re lost, the finish line seems non-existent. Don’t be discouraged find your vehicle and close the distance. We learn so much more when we listen, when the block knocks don’t replace the whole engine. Diagnose the problem, pumping from the piston. Hard to connect the parts when the heart is missing. Remember the days when you had no pot to piss in, grinding harder than transmission never lose sight of that vision. Anything worth the intake will certainly exhaust, so either maintain the flame or turn off the ignition.
Played War at home without the toy soldiers. Hide and Seek in the jungle paid no mind to vultures. Skipped rocks, then adopted a new culture. Where the word MARCH smolders and POW aint a cartoon sound it’s much colder. Sun up til flag down brothers sold ice to sailors. Refugee minorities with aspirations major. Despite the shortcomings they’d elevate stature. Back to back coverage through blood, insurance doesn’t matter.
Vinh is a mechanic that I frequently visit at L & T Auto Repair. He is an extremely genuine and kind human being. I’ve seen him offer replacement trucks and rides to valued customers without hesitation. Additionally he has gone above and beyond by checking on how I was doing, and not just my vehicles condition. What I find most admirable about Vinh is the fact that he financially supported his brother throughout college, fully embodying the proverb, “Blood is thicker than water” and in this case oil.
Kick into Gear is equivalent to receiving a wake up call. The first verse is composed of metaphors in which car parts replace a human’s heart, brain, and passion. The second verse details Vinh and his family’s past and their development to the present. Playing War and skipping rocks are both children’s game, but they are also metaphors for the struggles in a war torn country from a youthful perspective. For instance, playing war refers to escaping during the Vietnam War, and skipping rocks refers moving to another island. The command to MARCH smolders in the province of Bataan in the Philippines because of the Bataan Death March. This war crime occurred during World War 2 during which tens of thousands of Filipino and American Prisoners of War were forcefully dispatched, withstanding seventy miles of fatigue, disease, and torture. Meanwhile POW can have playful connotations in comic books and simultaneously mean prisoner of war. Despite the setbacks this proves that extreme adversity can bring family closer together than under regular circumstances.