Rocking Chair University
I started teaching folks how to make rocking chairs about two years after I commenced making them for sale. Persistent fellows would hang around the shop inquiring about the possibility until one day I thought "Why not?" The first couple students experienced such joy at the completion of their chairs that I knew this was very worth my time doing.

I recognized very quickly that I could, single handedly, increase the amount of joy in this very large world we live in. Although I knew the percentage total would not be much of an increase, I also knew that the world could use all it could get. Thus I embarked in a serious manner to make available, in shop mentoring along with materials I could send out to prospective builders, enabling them to make this rocking chair. Whether folks come to the shop or purchase the plans and make chairs at home, the joy is awesome. I get emails from fellows who have completed their chairs and I can almost see the glow from the computer when they arrive.

Thus it is that I am making my small contribution towards peace in this world we share, and I do not take my responsibility lightly! I stick with every student, through thick and thin, until they are rocking. I have never failed to respond to an email because the person was asking too many questions and I never will.

I did have one lawyer who pushed me very near to my limit however several years ago BUT I never gave up on him. Upon completion of his chair, he was probably the most joyous of all of my students, thus making the effort very worth while. BUT -- then a very interesting thing happened - another lawyer purchased the plans and guess what? The emails commenced again, sometimes three or four a day. Then the old light bulb came on in my head and in my next email to this lawyer I just happened to mention that another one of his brethren had just completed a chair and "here is his email if you are interested." I never heard from the fellow again, although I did hear from the first lawyer and how happy he was at having helped another person make a rocking chair!

Come on out and make an exquisitely comfortable rocking chair!
Come on out, I'll leave the light on for you!