Bill wrote:
dpb: wrote:

I interpreted the letter as reflecting them seeing interest in their
courses and training. It seemed quite natural to me; community college
and other tech school attendance is up nation-wide as it always is during
periods where it is more difficult to find good-paying jobs straight out
of high school or where those who are just out a couple of years are the
ones laid off and now realize they should've had some training. The local
CC academic course enrollment was up by 15%; the associated tech school by
almost 60% this fall.

What you said may be perfectly true, but the letter expressed a point that
may be worth repeating, it said:

"Woodworking exercises a
person's full capacities--hands, heart, and head--in a holistic way that is
both enjoyable and empowering. Instead of buying happiness, you learn to
make it. Instead of acommodating a world built by others, you learn to
construct your own.".
....

Well, I'm a pretty straightahead kinda' guy--I do woodworking to
basically make stuff I either want or need w/o worrying too much about
the "why's"... I suppose that's reflected in being engineer and
farmer, not "artiste"...

Not that I don't like pretty stuff, but don't go out of way to place
"interpretations" into it--iff'en I think it looks good, that's good
enough. I'm one of those who had a difficult time trying to write much
more in American Lit about Moby and Ahab other than it was "a whale of a
fish story".

I guess if there's some "deeper meaning" for somebody and any/all of
their students, power to 'em...

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