Monday, November 24, 2008

Swiss Army knife


Ever since I was young, I was facinated by this little tool of tools. My uncle first showed it to me when I was about 8. Little did I know that the concept of this tool would end up partly defining my life and the way I see myself and how others see me.

I love tools, and I always try to use the right too for the job. When I used to live in California, I could just wander the Home Depot store isles for hours just looking at the different tools and parts that were there. I think it's something I picked up from my dad, cos he would be stuck there for hours as well.

I strongly admire people who are really, really good in what they do.... the concert pianist, the brilliant filmmaker, the architect who conceives of the bridge to cross the body of water, and many many more. Unfortunately, I am nothing like any of them. I probably don't have the patience to sit in front of the piano day after day practicing or to have the marriage of artistic feel of space and the concepts of how structures work. What I end up doing is learning a little bit about many different things. I learn a little music, a little video and film making, a little of business and finance, a little of IT, a little of real estate, a little of human resource and psychology, and anything else that pricks my interest. I could never be considered an "expert" in any of these areas, but I can do something with what little I know. In this way, I'm like that little Swiss Army knife. Each little tool representing a little skill or knowledge that I've been blessed with. None of them a real proper tool in itself, but able to be used when in a desperate or unexpected situation.

So what does a little Swiss Army knife want to be when it grows up? I recently found this unbelievable new tool available from Wenger - the people who make the Swiss Army knife. I couldn't believe it when I saw it and everyone thought it was a joke. Here it is .... the giant knife.

No comments: