New Beginings

Last week I was helping to clean up and organize my parents garage.  I built a heavy-duty shelving system out of 2x4s and ply that was 14 feet long and 8 feet high.  Just about every box and storage tub that was in the garage fit neatly onto the shelves.

My dad has been a life-long avid woodworker and DIYer.  I’m sure that my love of this hobby stems from him and projects that we did together when I was a kid.   My dad is not in good health, and is currently in a nursing home.  A big part of the garage clean up project was me tidying up and organizing all of his tools.  By the end of the three days, I was pretty drained.  Physically yes, but far more emotionally.  It was really tough setting up all the tools for him knowing that he likely wont be able to use them anymore.

During the clean-up, I found this:

My Childhood Tool Kit

It is one of my first tool kits that my parents bought me when I was about 5 or 6.  I had a red one at about age four, but I don’t know what became of that one.

Here’s what remains inside.

I remember how happy I was when I got my own tools and could go out to the garage with dad when he was building something.  It was my very own tool box and I was so proud of it.

Here’s me at about age 4 1/2, working with my tools at dad’s workbench.

Here I am sawing on dad’s Black and Decker Workmate.

As woodworking has grown to become my main passion over the past seven years, I wondered what happened to my original toolkits.  It was great to re-discover it.

As I went home that evening, I was thinking about woodworking with my dad and feeling pretty crappy about the current situation.  I got home and took out the toolkit.  I called my son over and showed it to him.  I told him that it had been my mine and now it was his.

His face lit up and he immediately asked to go out to the shop and try them out.

My son, trying out the tools.

We went out and he had to try them all.

He thought the chisel was pretty cool.

He also likes to pound the screwdriver into the wood.

My son wasn’t fond of the wooden mallet, it didn’t pack enough Umphh for him. He much prefers my Thorex 712. Maybe he has been reading Paul Sellers blog.

After a rough couple days, this was a wonderful feeling.  It is funny how things come full circle.  Hopefully, this is the start of a fun hobby for my boy.