The confidence I gained from my middle school wood and metal shop classes in the late 80s came in handy 30ish years later when I remodeled significant portions

The confidence I gained from my middle school wood and metal shop classes in the late 80s came in handy 30ish years later when I remodeled significant portions of my own house in the 2020s, from the building fabric in to the floors and finishings. My white collar peers were surprised I could do such a thing, to say nothing of my South Asian professional immigrant family. I feel like I got the best what those classes were meant for: teaching people how to build many of the things they need in their lives rather than be dependent on the consumerist systems. Self reliance taught through a socialist public education system in the Rust Belt. Go figure. I'm so lucky I had it because most such classes were cut in the following years as public school funding was cut back. I still have one of the industrial art pieces I made back in 8th grade shop class - a cast aluminum Great Seal of America, mounted on a wooden plaque.