Whittling knife

The context in how we obtain something can play a pivotal role in how it influences us.

I was around 10 years old when my dad gifted me a small, 2-blade pocket knife for whittling. My grandfather had shown me how to carve wood since I was 4 years old, but I didn't have any tools of my own. Now that I had a knife, I was excited to use it.

I didn't have a block of wood so I spent time practicing how to hold it properly while shaving fallen branches. If I remember correctly, I did carve a wooden turtle with it at some point. It didn't matter to me what exactly I made, I just liked working with my own tool. But it did make me want to explore woodworking more.

Dad let me help him build wooden shelves and a workbench in the garage. Before we sold the house, I sanded down and repainted a fence and all the trim in the house. I continued to help my grandpa in his shop when I would visit from time to time.

In high school I took up shop classes. Each student made a bench out of oak. I spent time working with new shop tools and improving my precision. We had several projects, but I worked particularly hard on the bench. Even staying after school to spend extra time sanding and finishing it.

From there, I took technology, engineering and architecture classes and, at 16 years old, I set my sights on studying Industrial Design at NC State.

As for the bench, I gave it to my mom when she started her career path as a sales representative. She needed a bench to put her suitcase on because she travelled so often. It's been over 10 years since I gave her that bench and she still uses it.

It's been nearly 20 years since my dad gave me the pocket knife and I still have it. It's funny how seemingly small things can help form us.

Special thanks to Dad for helping me find ownership in what I love.