"I know how to take apart a VCR, clean the heads manually (usually using vodka and a cotton swab), and put it all back together. Also, I can replace the housing on a VHS tape and still have it be playable, the trick is to fast forward and rewind it slowly a few times to re-tension the tape spool.

Growing up poor without internet gives you lots of motivation to find and fix stuff you couldn’t afford, but people threw away once it was “a little bit broken.”"