Tools

Never buy anything with a handle on it because that always means work. A cousin of mine said that many years ago, and there's some truth to it.

Let's not talk very much about that four letter word: work. Worse than that is the three letter "J" word: Job. Could be worse, I could be talking about the tools your bring to your J** so you can W***.

Phew! We have that unpleasantness behind us. Tools are best used for play. Think way back to childhood. Wasn't it cool to build things? What happened to most of us when we grew up? Not too many people use their tools for play. Kinda think that's a waste of the whole opposable thumb thing.

Let's look back into the bygone years of the 1950's. Back then a lot of guys had a workshop, or a basement, garage, or shed where they'd, "putter around." Maybe they'd build bird houses. Some were into furniture. Some guys built boats, or dangerous wheeled vehicles spewing fumes from poorly tuned two cycle engines. Happy times. Tools were for pleasure, not necessary for getting stuff done.

We've lost a lot of that. Some say it's because out technology has gotten too complicated. That might be part of it, but who hasn't dreamed of building a gas dynamic laser in their basement? (Okay . . . maybe that's just me.) Still tools used to be fun. That doesn't mean a fun use of tools can't be useful. I just finished wiring up a house using a leatherman tool. It was fun! Didn't do it for money, but because it was recreational. Did it because I could, and it was nice to help out some friends.

The best projects are those that don't really need to be done, but you do anyway. Maybe you enjoy the ringing song of a tablesaw blade, the happy whir of a bit driver, or the satisfying ka-chunk of a pneumatic nail gun.

Don't be afraid of things with handles. Use tools for the simple joy of it sometimes, not when there's a J** or W*** to be done. Do something fun. Learn to love your tools again.

-Sixbears