Imagining a perfect woodworking world only takes a bit of imagination.

I was a teenager in the ’60s, so it’s no surprise I’m a Beach Boys fan. One of my favorite songs of theirs is “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” The song was about beaches and teen love and cars in the 1960s, of course, but that doesn’t mean you can’t apply it to woodworking in the 2020s. To that end, wouldn’t it be nice if…

…plywood veneer was even half as nice as it was in the ’60s?

…tools had less plastic and more metal again?

…woodshop was still offered in every high school?

…it was still possible for any independent hardware store to thrive in its community?

…every home had at least one item handmade by someone living there?

…ordinary household items were designed to be repaired, and not replaced?

…basic tools lasted forever?

And finally, wouldn’t it be nice if COVID-19 affected Spotted Lantern Flies and Emerald Ash borers instead of us?