Road & Track magazine Aug. 06, had an article by Peter Egan in a by-line Side Glances, of which the following is an excerpt:
I was reading a book about guitar amplifiers and it had a whole chapter dedicated to the Mesa Boogie company, makers of high-end guitar amplifiers used by such legends as Carlos Santana and Keith Richards. The company was founded-and is still owned-by a man named Randall Smith, whom some of you may know as an avid racer of vintage sports cars.
In the book, the author interviewed Smith and asked how he learned his art, which is characterized by a combination of elegant electronics and nicely crafted wood cabinetry. Smith said it all started when he was a Boy Scout. Seems he was in competition with another Scout to see who could get the most merit badges, and he decided it would be easy to get a Wood Carving badge. All you had to do was make three wood carvings and show them to a local expert, who would then sign off on your badge requirements.
So Smith did three quick carvings in soft wood and took them to a guy down the street who was renowned for his woodworking skills. Smith rang the doorbell, expecting to get a quick check-off and to be patted on the head for being a precocious youth and a good Scout.
The neighbor opened the door, examined young Randall's wood carvings for a moment and said, "Follow me." Smith followed him back through the house and out back to a beautifully equipped wood shop and electronics lab. The man then turned on his band saw, ran all three of Smith's woodcarvings through the shrieking blade and tossed the pieces into his pile of wood scraps.
He turned to Smith and said, "That's what I think of your project, and that's what I think of you." Smith stood there in shock. No adult had ever treated him like this before. The neighbor told him to go back home and put some effort into the project, and do a better job. He explained that when we make something, we leave behind an artifact of who we are, and it's important to take the time to do things right.
Smith went home and did his carvings over-this time with much more attention to detail. The curmudgeonly neighbor signed off on his Merit Badge and invited him to help as an apprentice on some electronics and cabinetry projects. Smith had a mentor, and was on his way. I told this anecdote to some friends who are school teachers, and they were both amused and apalled. "If you did that now," one said, "the parents would sue you for damaging the boy's self esteem."
And contained in that conundrum is Randall Smith's whole point: How can you have self-esteem if you do shoddy work? You've got to start somewhere.
"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"
I was reading a book about guitar amplifiers and it had a whole chapter dedicated to the Mesa Boogie company, makers of high-end guitar amplifiers used by such legends as Carlos Santana and Keith Richards. The company was founded-and is still owned-by a man named Randall Smith, whom some of you may know as an avid racer of vintage sports cars.
In the book, the author interviewed Smith and asked how he learned his art, which is characterized by a combination of elegant electronics and nicely crafted wood cabinetry. Smith said it all started when he was a Boy Scout. Seems he was in competition with another Scout to see who could get the most merit badges, and he decided it would be easy to get a Wood Carving badge. All you had to do was make three wood carvings and show them to a local expert, who would then sign off on your badge requirements.
So Smith did three quick carvings in soft wood and took them to a guy down the street who was renowned for his woodworking skills. Smith rang the doorbell, expecting to get a quick check-off and to be patted on the head for being a precocious youth and a good Scout.
The neighbor opened the door, examined young Randall's wood carvings for a moment and said, "Follow me." Smith followed him back through the house and out back to a beautifully equipped wood shop and electronics lab. The man then turned on his band saw, ran all three of Smith's woodcarvings through the shrieking blade and tossed the pieces into his pile of wood scraps.
He turned to Smith and said, "That's what I think of your project, and that's what I think of you." Smith stood there in shock. No adult had ever treated him like this before. The neighbor told him to go back home and put some effort into the project, and do a better job. He explained that when we make something, we leave behind an artifact of who we are, and it's important to take the time to do things right.
Smith went home and did his carvings over-this time with much more attention to detail. The curmudgeonly neighbor signed off on his Merit Badge and invited him to help as an apprentice on some electronics and cabinetry projects. Smith had a mentor, and was on his way. I told this anecdote to some friends who are school teachers, and they were both amused and apalled. "If you did that now," one said, "the parents would sue you for damaging the boy's self esteem."
And contained in that conundrum is Randall Smith's whole point: How can you have self-esteem if you do shoddy work? You've got to start somewhere.
"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"
LCHIEN
Loring in Katy, TX USA
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