I nailed it

When I was a preschooler, I remember being quite fascinated watching people fix things, especially jobs that involved carpentry. I suspect that most kids have the same innate curiosity, but I believe my interest had more of a genetic component. My grandfather, who was a carpenter by trade, undoubtedly influenced my mother who in turn provided the inspiration for her children. After years of hand sawing full sheets of plywood, I recall actually giving my mother a Black and Decker power saw for Christmas. I figured that I could make my life easier when the request for another set of shelves to be built came "across my desk". However, what good carpenter wouldn't know how to use a hammer? You are absolutely right, not one. Well, I have story to tell you about that.

Remember those little wood benches with the wooden pegs and hammer that kids used to play with from playskool? In the 60's it seemed that every youngster had one of those multi-colored objects in the toy box. You would put the pegs in and pound them through until they popped out the other side. Exciting stuff for a 2 or 3 year old. What possibly could be more exciting than that for an aspiring young carpenter? The real thing of course. My mother must have been quite courageous because she equipped me with my own tool box complete with a hammer and plenty of nails to practice my skills. The only thing missing was a place to hone those talents. I had the perfect arena for this little activity, the back yard fence. I spent hours pounding nails into the fence rails while my mother watched from her perch in the kitchen. When I ran out of nails, I'd simply start removing them and start over. If there were "real" carpenters at the house, oh boy. Not only could I watch them, but if they weren't looking, I found myself going to their "bag of nails" as well.

All of these observations, followed by the numerous questions, and then practicing simply helped me with one of my not so hidden passions, woodworking. I don't know whether it's the beauty of the finished product or partly just the enjoyment of working with my hands, but having an idea, then seeing it come to "life", sure is rewarding. And wood, with its odor right after being sawn, its intricate grain patterns, or its rich colors, now that's "delicious". Maybe that is why my high school shop teacher nick named me "the termite". Whatever the case may be, I have always loved woodworking. My passion for it started long ago, very simply perhaps, because "I nailed it". If you guessed that, then you'd have "hit the nail on the head"!