Yesterday I started a six week teaching session with Junction City middle schoolers. We are doing silk screening which involves some precision cutting using exacto blades. I was amazed how the humming, chirping, squirming energy of the classroom immediately gave way to awed stillness as I handed out the sharp tools. We humans are tool users. When we apply ourselves completely to manipulating a tool we hone in, calm down, focus ourselves in a way we often can’t in the broader social world. I believe we tap into an ancient way of being human. So, once again, here’s to using tools.