One of my favorite quotes is "When you stop learning, you stop growing."  My fascination with how things work started with a tape measure.  A gift from my grandfather turned into a stern scolding after I took it apart to see how it worked and couldn't reassemble it.  I was disappointed that I made grandpa mad, but I was intrigued now that I knew how that tape measure worked.  Next came computers and cars, but I couldn't quite get the hang of software or get used to scraping my knuckles on unforgiving metal.  As high school progressed, I did well in school, but preferred playing sports and taking things apart when the boredom became too much.  Grandpa farmed me out to a roofing crew, and I learned what it meant to work hard for an honest days pay.  I found a contractor to work for in high school where I started out stripping wallpaper, hanging and finishing drywall,   
To be continued ...