Side Effects

As we sit in our hotel room in Indianapolis, In. thoroughly enjoying the 5 degree snow filled temperature, Sweet Janice and I were discussing some of the side effects of our decision to join the woodworking circus and travel the country teaching woodturning and related stuff.

Travel

We will enjoy visiting between 18 and 20 cities this year. The scenery can be breathtaking this time of year as we enjoy a literal winter wonderland of geography from mountains and valleys to urban landscapes.

Leisure Time

Drive to the next city on Mondays. Rest, relax and fall in love all over again on Tuesday and Wednesday. See movies with my sweetie, visit museums, etc. Setup is Thursday and Friday morning. Shows are open Fri, Sat. Sun. That is two days a week I would be working if I were at home.

People

Imagine the new friends we will make and the friendships we will renew. All of our customers are precious and many are smarter than we are. They readily share ideas and discoveries which often spark an idea for a totally new product which you get to enjoy next year.

Perspective

Americans are a precious, generous and blessed people. Southerners are different than Northerners which are different than folks from both the southwest and the northwest. Don’t get me started about folks from Texas. We love, appreciate and enjoy them all. Sweet Janice and I never meet a stranger – we are the very definition of people persons.

When we try to explain to people we meet outside of the business side of things and explain what we do for a living, very few understand the joys we have. Comments are often how hard the travel is and how difficult it must be to live for 4 months in a hotel room. We are grateful to have been chosen to stand before and serve folks in this way. It takes a little effort, but we have the strength and determination and are delighted to pass our knowledge along to others in this way.

The Ripple Effect

Whenever you have an opportunity to teach someone the woodworking or woodturning skills you have learned, you can never know who will benefit down the road. If it takes some effort, do it. If it costs you

a little, pay it. The blessings and side effects will be enormous, I promise, because wherever you go there you are.

Here is my inspiration for this message:

1 Chronicles 19:13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.