This is from a friend. We knew each other in college and we have been fortunate enough to still be in contact with each other. While he doesn’t collect autographs frequently he does have a few. When he told me this anecdote, I just had to ask if he’d mind sharing...
Madison is not blessed with an abundance of dedicated woodworking supply stores but we have a few. My favorite, the one that happened to be located close to my place of work, found it necessary to relocate and this was their grand re-opening weekend. Normally, I’d have skipped the potential for big crowds but I got a mailing that Thomas MacDonald, a.k.a. Tommy Mac, was going to be there to meet and greet fans of his PBS television show, “Rough Cut”. He builds nice stuff and even when I am not interested in what he is building, I often glean useful tips on how he’s building it. So with a little urging from my wife, we headed over to the store.
Tommy was “holding court” in the middle of the store, sitting on a work bench and chatting with a circle of 15-20 people on whatever topic came to mind. I listened to the conversation as I browsed the facility, stopping now and then to listen more closely or watch some demonstration. Tommy’s from Boston (or should I say “Bah-stin”) and was clearly at ease with fans and the crowd. He talked about what it’s like to do woodworking with a camera crew in your face (“I spent the first year convinced that they were filming the inside of my nostrils”), how they plan out shows, his education in woodworking, etc.
