4 Friday, April 5, 2024 brooklintowncrier.com My father is in his 80s and computer literate - or so I thought. Here in rural Ontario, he feels he doesn't need TV and has canceled his cable. It was bad enough he had cable with no streaming services, but I figured I could live with just cable TV for a weekend. His reasoning? He only watches TV on his computer. No problem. I'll just connect to his wifi and stream on my laptop. However, when I ask for the password, he doesn't remember it nor does he have it written down anywhere. So now I'm thinking, okay, I'll find an unsecured network. Except there are none around here. Fine. I'll use my data. But in order to even make a call I have to walk down the street to get a signal. This is a clear indication of our generation gap. While I'm not used to living without internet, cellphone, and streaming TV, he grew up without any of these. Instead, Dad and I talk, play cards and share a couple of drinks. As it turns out, this is really fun. We're also gambling with toffees. He's winning which is good because my waistline can do without the sugar. Well, I did steal a couple of his loot when he went for another beer. I don't know why I haven't done this sooner. Maybe the distance between us has something to do with it. As I watch him laugh and share stories, I realize that not having wifi is actually a gift. I know my father has been lonely since my mom moved into long-term care. He dotes on his overweight cat and mails us little gifts. He's missing the connection. Perhaps I'm missing it, too. After several hours of games and giggles, he decides to call it a night. I promise myself to call him and visit more often. Then I think of my daughter and husband who opted out on this visit due to hockey and suddenly miss them terribly. It's a stark reminder of how important they are to me. Dad is getting older. My mom barely remembers me. I treasure the time I get with them. When you spend time with your loved ones, try turning off the tech. You might find something more special than a chocolate egg. Brooklin Family Matters: by Leanne Brown The Important Connection Before reading anything beyond this sentence, you should visit Scott Bennett's youtube channel, Fixing Furniture. It's at: https://www.youtube.com/c/fixing- furniture Once there, check out the video called Historic Furniture Restoration. The two-parter is about a table brought from England around 1859 when Whitby's Trafalgar Castle was built. Today, the building is better known as Trafalgar Castle School, a private school for girls. In the last ten minutes of Part 2, Bennett takes viewers on a guided tour of the building. That bit alone explains why the Brooklin furniture restorer's videos currently have 112,000 subscribers. He recently received a Youtube Silver Play Button award for reaching 100,000 subscribers, an enormous number for a topic most might consider mundane. However, just a few minutes of watching Bennett at work serves as a testament to his professionalism, not just in restoring furniture but in the actual videos. Doing the edits With the commitment of a feature film director, Bennett uses multiple cameras, lighting, and microphones then edits every video himself, using what he learned in video editing courses to learn the finer points. All this before he adds music that matches "the mood" of a repair. The result is a truly first class, entertaining tour of his Brooklin work space and how he does what he does. Want to know what kind of wood glue or putty to use? Have you got a busted chair you want to keep but it needs a fix? What about badly done repairs? There are videos for all those and much more. As for the award, "It's a big deal in the youtube world," he says. "Quite a milestone." Indeed. For instance, the video about fixing bad furniture repairs has had nearly 600,000 views alone. He's had customers from Ottawa and Niagara bring him work as a result, not to mention other monetization streams he's used in his business. "There's quality furniture out there that just needs to be fixed. People just need to learn how to repair it all and keep it out of the landfill." Home page His company "Wooden it be nice" includes a web site that features a blog, links to videos, woodworking plans, products and more. (https://woodenitbenice.ca/) He's established an entire industry based on his unique presentation skills and expertise. But one of the more rewarding sidelights to the youtube success has to do with why people watch the videos. "I'm finding out that people are using them as a sort of entertainment," he says, referring to his soft and exacting commentary, music and filming. "It makes me smile. My daughter is in university and she's told me she's seen students have his videos on in the background when they study. They find them soothing." Invention More recently, he invented a dust collection system for a lathe which he hopes to market one day. The Durham Woodworking Club invited him to speak a few weeks ago on the subject of furniture repair for woodworkers. He took pride in seeing their eyes light up with the possibilities. What's next for the youtube star? How about one million subscribers, the gold level? "I don't know if that will ever happen." But then, did he ever figure he'd reach 100,000? Probably not. Scott Bennett: Brooklin's Youtube Star By Richard Bercuson