Thursday, September 8, 2011

The End With The Flat Metal And Claw Thingy Goes On Top

I once had to say that to a clergyperson who was preparing to go to South America to build homes "for the poor" and wasn't entirely sure how to hold a hammer.  Yes, that's right.  It's not bad enough to live in a third-world poverty center, but you also have to live in a home built for you by some well-intended and maladroit American who doesn't know how to use common, and rather ancient, building tools.  Buena suerte, mi amigo.

About a year ago I was asked to mentor some high school students who wanted to build guitars.  Let's just say that between their non-existent work ethic and the manual dexterity of fish, I'm in no danger of losing any business to them.  They faded away after they realized that a guitar takes time and patience to construct.

Anyway, I ran across this Canadian article that, I'm sure, could easily be translated into an American experience, too.

Why your teenager can’t use a hammer