Husband, Father, Friend, Lawyer, and Woodworker--In That Order

Hello Steemit!

My name is Sam Simkins and I am pretty excited to have stumbled upon this community. I live a pretty busy life right now and it is important to me that I actually prioritize the things that are most important in my life. In my opinion, there is no greater treasure than loving relationships and authentic community. That's what impressed me so much about this community. Sure, there is the financial incentive to be active, but that does not seem to cheapen the palpable desire for shared welfare that I have seen here. The embrace of open source, thoughtful feedback, and genuine encouragement has impressed me. Thanks for setting a good example. :]

A little about me:
I am happily married and beyond blessed that I get to call this woman my bride.

We had the joy of welcoming our fifth child into our family this past November. Photo by Tara Danielle: https://www.facebook.com/TaraDaniellePhotography/
https://www.instagram.com/TaraDaniellePhotography/

People often tell me that I look too young to have five kids. I often tell them that I am. I'm 26 and this last addition was born before our eldest turned six. We do have a set of twins there in the middle though, so it is kind of like cheating. Having five under six has kept all of our hands full. Literally. There are no more hands.

I have been living in Detroit, Michigan since 2010 (born and raised right outside the city) and have become part of a remarkable community. This community has saved me from myself more than once.
Here is my wonderful neighborhood association: https://www.facebook.com/groups/woodwardvillage/
My adorably quirky church posted up on the east side:
http://hopedetroit.org/

Like the title says, I am also a lawyer. I was extremely blessed to have a job right after graduating. I work at a Michigan based firm called Dykema Gossett (https://www.dykema.com/professionals-samuel_r_simkins.html) and I mostly work in products liability litigation, specifically automotive (this is Detroit afterall). I have been slowly venturing into the autonomous vehicle (AV) and cyber security/privacy space and recently got to deliver a presentation about the ethical considerations of AVs.

Lastly, I am a self-taught hobbyist woodworker. Bless my father, but among his many giftings, handyman is not one of them. The internet has been my guide. Here are some of the builds that I am most proud of.

I recently built this custom pipe-lamp "pants hook" and shelf for my brother.

I built this "coffee station" and tea basket shelf combo.

And I made the wood bow ties for this wedding party.

I look forward to exploring the great content that you all are contributing and plan to contribute regularly myself on topics including: law, community, DIY/woodworking, politics, blockchain technology, and self-care.

Cheers,
Sam