Most Useful Skill? or The Value of Wood Shop

The other night my son, who is a senior in high school, and I were talking about going to college.  He was commenting that he felt like he wasn't really learning anything useful in high school...and that it seemed that all high school was good for was to get you admitted to college where you'd learn real skills.


We debated that back and forth and he finally asked me "Dad, tell me one skill  you learned in high school that you still use today."


I had to think for a while, but I finally came up with an answer...


You ready for it?

The skills I learned in high school, that I still use today...were all learned in...


Shop class.


Using tools.


Repairing engines. 


Electrical wiring. 


All those kinds of skills I learned from my dad, but I refined them in shop classes.  I use them almost daily in my life doing repairs around the house, fixing kids bikes, maintaining cars, lawn mowers, etc...


What is truly sad about that is that when I was a kid, shop was required.  Now it's mostly disappeared from the curriculum in favor of more 'academic' pursuits.


So I want to post the question to you.  What is the skill you learned in high school that you've found that you use most in life?


(Post answers in the comments.)