I have been wrestling with computer problems the last couple days. My old iMac G3 computer started erratic behavior, with the screen suddenly jiggling, and freezing up with the power shutting down minutes later. As aggravating as all that can be, I believe that the rationality and confidence developed through hand work offers benefits when one faces the challenge of problem solving in the digital age. By working through things logically, I was able to clear stuff from the desktop and documents folders into files on an external hard drive, so that when the iMac finally reached the point at which it would start no more, most of my important information was safe. Fortunately, it was the video card that went out and the hard drive is still sound in case I decide there are still things I need to retrieve.

There is a distinct relationship between woodworking and the development of skills that are broadly applicable to a wide range of professions. An example is a student that Rob Knight told me about from Community School. He is surgeon who began his love of working with his hands in the school wood shop. It is a complete shock to my senses to note that very few educators in the US seem capable of understanding this or able to do anything about it.