On the value of tools that reward investment with understanding, not just output.
Looking back, the most valuable skills I possess share a common origin: they began with a choice to engage with a system deeply, rather than merely consume its output. My journey with bodywork started not with seeking a quick fix, but with studying shiatsu—learning the meridians and the principles of pressure to understand my own health. My relationship with transportation transformed when I learned bicycle mechanics, not just to save money, but to know every component that carried me through the city. This pattern of choosing the path of understanding over convenience found its ultimate expression in my choice, years ago, to build my digital life on Linux and open source. That choice, often met with bemusement, has proven to be less about software preference and more about cultivating a fundamental literacy.