The wobble that taught me patience.
Folks, I've been fixing engines and restoring furniture for over sixty years. But there’s one project that still makes me chuckle — and maybe a little wince.
Back in '98, I found an old Craftsman table saw in a barn down near the river. The blade was rusted, the fence was bent, and the whole thing smelled like sawdust and forgotten dreams. I thought, "Bryan, you can bring this back to life."
I was so eager to get it running, I skipped the final sanding on the fence. Just a little shortcut, I told myself. But when I ran the first board through, the fence wobbled like a drunk fiddle player. The cut came out crooked, and I nearly threw the whole thing into the Arkansas River.
The wobble that taught me patience.
That wobble taught me something important: perfection isn’t the goal. The lesson is. Now, I make a little notch in my apron for every piece I sand — a reminder to slow down and listen to the wood.
So if you’re out there making your own "First Slip," don’t be afraid. Embrace it. That mistake might just be the beginning of something beautiful.
— Bryan Terry, Van Buren, Arkansas