Tools, what does the word conjure in your mind? Is it a set of metric spanners, a garden rake and fork, or perhaps scales, mixing bowls and spoons. We are surrounded by tools, filled with tools, and our minds use tools all the time to make sense of what is around us, to find a solution to a problem or a path to a desired goal.

I’ve always loved tools, both physical tools, hand tools, and those tools between the ears that we develop over time, and that serve to make our lives simpler as long as we remember to use them. Having moved around the world, possibly more than I should have, I’ve had to leave most material possessions behind on several occasions. After the first few times, I became aware of what was important to me and what I could walk away from without regret. Most material things can be replaced if they are important enough, and as time passes that list diminishes to just a few items; just a few tools.

At the top of that tools list now, is my ThinkPad, a tool that I use every day, and the one that gives me the most satisfaction. Some might consider it strange to call it a tool, but for me it is. It is a tool above all else for writing, but also for staying organised, resolving problems in a spreadsheet, designing our new chicken coop, and as time passes, a backup for fading memory.