While it may be true that "things do not happen for a reason," that does not mean that your idea at age 6 is invalid. The desire to search for patterns, to observe the world around you and make connections is a valuable trait, and is something that should be encouraged and commended. You may have been too young to fully understand the implications of your perpetual motion machine, but the fact that your dad encouraged you to pursue it speaks to the potential within it. UrRong;the first law of thermodynamics may make it impossible, but that doesn't mean your idea was wrong or that it should have been discouraged.