Do you ever latch onto something – a word, a saying, a person, and they become your most favorite thing in the whole world… or at least, for the time being. Thank ‘Gwad’ that I never got into the drug thing. With my addictive personality, no tell’n where I’d end up. Addiction and obsession are ‘brother from another mother’ – closely related and sometimes hard to tell apart. I think my personality leans to the obsessive side. Obsessive with ADD… ’cause I get a kick out of something, drain every ounce of life from it – so much so that the people around me tend to use the phrase, “Tom (exhaustive pause for the fifteenth time) I get it….” I know at that time, I can get a couple more zingers in, and then it’s time to move on – else the addictive thing kicks-in.

The word that has my world today is “tool.” Seems pretty obvious, nondescript, kind-of like pudding. It’s just there; everyone knows what it is, but then I starting really thinking (or obsessing, you be the judge) about it.

It rhymes with some great words – pool, cool, rule, dual and my favorite, stool. In some instances a stool can be used as a tool. This is a good thing. But sometimes tools go bad. In which case a bad tool is a stool. And I’m not talking about the seat with no arms kind. So next time someone calls you a stoolhead, you’ll know where it came from.

As a reference to people – tool – the word, takes on a whole new meaning. The literal meaning when referring to a person is: a person utilized to carry out the designs of another. In other words, a duped tool. There are a few different types of people tools. There are the Fool Tools. These are good to have around at any given time because Fool Tools can do stuff you don’t want to do – or get blamed for doing. Duped. Then there are the Cool Tools. We all know these people. It’s where the saying comes from, “Not the sharpest tool in the shed.” These people are fun to have around, are good for your ego, laugh at your jokes and not a mean bone in their body.

Then you have the most interesting group: the Power Tools. These are people that had the ability to unite all of the other tools in the shed into a common cause. Sometimes this power can be used for good. Sometimes this power, although a bit misguided, is meant to be helpful. Then we have Power Tools out-of-control. The world’s biggest Power Tools are completely out-of-control now, and we all know what color house one of them lives in. In reality, it’s really not about a power tool run amuck, it’s really about the Toolmakers. The only saving grace we have with Power-Tools-Gone-Bad is that they eventually will run out of juice.

Successful tools can make a lot of money but they tend to have to work a lot harder for it. And a word to the wise… for all those gold diggers out there, it’s hard to get a Tool to part with his money.

Tools have been used since the beginning of recorded time. Now I am talking about tools in the sense of an instrument. You know, your hammer, screwdriver, electromagnetic radiation lasers.

There are all kinds of tools. Tools for school and tools that rule. But tools themselves can be a bit deceiving. When a rake is a tool, it’s a good thing. When a rake is a person, it’s not so good. And yet when a person is rakish, it becomes good again. I know I digress a bit, but just be happy I didn’t pick the hoe… way too much material there. A cool tool would be something like the laser beam level I got two Christmas’ ago. It has taken ‘cool tool’ to a new level. I haven’t taken it out of its package yet, because I’m a guy, and it’s more important to have ALL the tools then to actually use them.

Which brings me to an important point. Using the right tools is critical. You’re not going to use a BLACK & DECKER 24″ Hedge Hog XR Extended Reach Hedge Trimmer with dual blades and pivoting handle in a beauty salon. (You don’t need the pivoting handle). I can’t tell you how many things I’ve made worse by using the wrong tools. I’m getting a little off track here – ’cause this falls into the category of – GUYS DON’T HAVE TO ASK FOR DIRECTIONS – because we WILL eventually (keyword) figure it out.

Painters use lots of tools. In fact, most painters will make tools out of anything – sticks, cans, combs… you name it. Sharing devices become tools of the trade.

Words are tools. Words like tools, can tear something down or build something up. Good language is the tool of communication. The right words, used as tools, can save lives. The wrong words can be explosive. Sure, actions might be stronger that words, but words as tools can prevent actions. Rock, paper, scissors.

Tools in general are good to have around, both in the literal and physical sense. They can be helpful or fun. Just be careful, if you become the toolmaker, keep a close eye on your power tools. Sign me,

Tooling along,