Very wise, Tom. And for what it's worth, I can learn almost anything new on a computer!

My father is a woodworker, and very good with machines (obviously). My mom was an engineer. Funnily enough, neither of them ever let me near the business end of any gears. My dad said I never had any interest in woodworking (not sure how true that is), and my mom was all theory, no practice. Understanding complex machines is a bit like playing a sport to me: if you grow up with someone who plays catch with you, then learning to play baseball is a lot easier and more intuitive than if you've never tried to throw a ball overhand before. My son, for instance, is a very good little sew-er (not sewer ). This is because I've always had him help me and sew little quilts for his toys, etc. My grandmother did this with me, and it's really been easy for me to learn to knit, quilt, etc. If I didn't do this with him, I imagine he'd be like my BF, and wonder how to sew a button on his shirt when it falls off. While this seems so simple to me, the BF found it horribly confusing and labor intensive!

In the end, while I have a great appreciation for the beauty of old machines, I just don't have any fun when I'm tinkering with them. I think it's just too much to take in, with too much at stake. Wheel building might be more fun, but I'm not up for trying it right now, especially on my own. It's okay, though, as I have enough other hobbies to keep me more than satisfied.