Personally: one’s own body throughout life. Getting teeth, eyes, knees, hearts, livers, limbs repaired to keep things running.
Externally: leaking basements and toilets, cracked sidewalks, crumbling roads, collapsing apartment blocks and bridges, driveways waiting for mudjacking, the damaged highways and towns because of flooding, fires, earthquakes, etc. Endangered forests, polluted oceans, the smoky air we breathe. All kinds of technological failures including moon flights cancelled because of engine failure.
People, companies, countries constantly repairing, fixing one thing or other. The ensuing difficult matters of choice and daily and long-term choices borne out of complete necessity for continuance and survival.
Infrastructure. Everywhere, everything, everybody.
Even in relationships, societies, and civilizations.
Think about it: just how far this metaphor goes and applies.
How’s your infrastructure going today?