Counting blessings is kind of like counting fish; quantity is never really a qualifier for meaning, expertise, or experience. I feel very lucky to have mingled and worked alongside the few men and women who have led me down an adventurous and sometimes tumultuous path since I was very young. These were all people who exercised keen restraint in guiding and inspiring me. Using one's hands in a spirited way to make a living in this day and age is fairly daunting and is often overlooked in present-day academia. Passing on craft knowledge takes a light touch on a young person's heart; it takes access to tools and media, and inevitably it takes time, patience, and courage. Using one's hands is a kind of flattery to the Gods; by this I mean that we are all gifted with opposable thumbs, a sense of reason and causality, and the ability to visualize something before it comes to fruition. If we choose to embody these traits and put them into action, we need to surround ourselves with...