Not to be a contrarian or worse... but the best part of it for me has been I got to do something I absolutely love and look forward to doing every single day for the last nearly 20 years. It doesn't hurt that it's paid off my home, car, etc, bought my business partner a beautiful home on five acres in the woods and filled my studio with cool guitars and amps.
More importantly I've met and become friends with some great people and a few are like family to me now at a time when my family is all gone and I am one of the only ones left.
We now have three dogs in our shop, all larger dogs, all rescues and they all love Uncle Hesh especially when I have treats
Most of all I get to see someone sit down, try out their guitar after we have repaired it and set it up and watch them be thrilled and excited especially in uncertain times like these.
I feel like a very, very lucky guy that I got to be a luthier and especially a working in the trade luthier who does this for a living.
I'm headed into the shop in Ann Arbor (just outside of it now) now and I am taking one of my Suhr Teles in to raise a nut slot with light cured dental fillings. I cut it too low last night
but the dental filling fix will last longer than I do. Can't wait to be back at my bench surrounded my my four legged pals and making folks happy helping them achieve their musical goals.