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**A quick note first: Will O'Connor, woodworker and instructor extraordinaire, is facing deadlines on a project this week, so instead of enjoying his sublime poetic waxings, you will be subjected solely to my inane ramblings this newsletter. Sorry not sorry!
A few days ago I asked my son to bring me a small but sharp knife from the kitchen, and when he went to give it to me I stopped and showed him the correct way to hand someone a bladed tool of any kind, handle first. He thought this was really cool and has been handing things that way to all of us since then. He gets a lot of pride from this, as do I.
I share this for two reasons. One, I have always been low-key jealous of folks who come from families/backgrounds full of woodworkers and craftspeople. I feel like I would be so much more skilled had that been so. But I came to woodworking slowly and on my own, and while I am a semi-proud hobbyist, I always wonder 'what if'. What if I had a grandfather who was a master carver, or I had grown up around tools. Not that I am complaining about my fam, love them to death.
But still.
And so in the moment when I shared that small and essential safety tip, it gave me a true feeling of (slightly bittersweet) joy to know I am helping give him something I always wished for, whether he takes to woodworking or not.
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