I wish my FIL was around to teach me, I hate tech work! It does seem common, and I think there's something about working with natural materials and holding something organic that appeals to me. Software isn't "real" as much as woodworking is. Sometimes it's hard to just build stuff that is deleted in several months, versus making a quality chair which will probably get use for hundreds of years. I have some wood furnishings in my current rental home that were built by the owner who built this whole house with is wife in the 50's and they are the most solid things we use on a daily basis.