Community Chat

[crdlb]

My husband is a consummate hobbyist, and has many skills that he has developed over the years that he has been wanting to hand onto our son, who is 17. My husband is a drummer, woodworker, surfer, scuba diver, photographer, winemaker, beer brewer, leatherworker.

Of course, DS has resisted every attempt by Dad to learn anything from him--until about a year ago.

All of sudden, he's decided he wants his father to help him learn about some of the things he's involved in. He's been taking private drum lessons and playing with the school band and a local arts council jazz band since 6th grade, but now wants his Dad to show him some of his beats. Last summer, he decided to get certified in scuba diving, and now wants to learn how to use his dad's underwater cameras.

The past two weekends, my son has been immersed in two woodworking/carpentry projects. He's even worked on them while my husband was away from home.

My husband, of course, is in seventh heaven. Neither one of us can believe this sudden turnaround in attitude and enthusiasm.

I guess I'm posting this so that any of you who may have given up on your efforts to hand down skills to your children, might reconsider giving it another shot. It's truly a lifetime gift, and I know 50 years from now when my son reaches for one of his father's tools, he'll have a fond memory of the first time he ever picked it up.

Now, if only I had a daughter--who wanted to learn to cook, sew, needlecrafts, etc.