Paul Comi, aka “paulcomi,” of 207 moderator fame, sent along this reminder to all you woodworkers making their first steps in the New Year. Words to take to heart:
As we look toward another year with our holiday season behind us, I know that times are tough for many. When things get hard, that’s the time I tend to hunker down with work and neglect spending any time on the thing I love to do in my spare time: woodworking.
This is just a thought for those of you, who like me, may be letting dust collect on your tools and are too concerned with family and business matters to “waste” your valuable time in the shop. The fact is, when I go into my shop, for a brief time I get to forget about everything else. And, whether I’m just putting tools away, or cleaning up, or practicing something as seemingly trivial as just taking a few shavings with a hand plane or trying a tool I haven’t spent much time with in the past, this free time is not only free–its invaluable. This is the kind of quality time we can’t buy. This quiet time alone may just be the mini vacation you need the most to shrug off the worries of this day. And ironically, when you emerge from your shop, I’ll bet that whatever was bugging you earlier won’t seem like a big deal, or just maybe you’ll have a new perspective about whatever it was that weighed on your mind.
We’ve all made investments in our shops and our tools. When I walk through my shop, I am reminded of the sacrifice and hard work I put into earning the money to buy them, how I found them, and of the things I’ve made with them. It makes me smile deep inside. So if you’re feeling down, go spend a few minutes in your shop and leave your worries at the door. This is going to be a great year!
Paul Comi, aka “paulcomi”
