Wow, What an honor.
My first interest in woodturning came at a very young age. We lived in Colorado, and would go see my  grandparents in Iowa, and part of that visit always included a visit to my great-grandfather who always gave my mom one of his segmented lamps. This type of segmented turning was different than you see today, as the blanks were glue-ups along the length of the spindle, and then turned to expose different types and shapes of wood. I was fascinated with the process then, and always regretted being too young while he was alive to learn more from this person whom I considered to be the ultimate craftsman.
As I got older, my interests spread to anything I could do with my hands. In High School, this meant fast cars, and fast motorcycles. Six years in the Navy re-focused my attention toward hydraulic equipment and steam engines.
After my enlistment ended, I found that I had far more interests than years left on this planet, so while dabbling in a little bit of everything, I managed to focus on motorcycles, metal work, and woodworking. One day, while visiting the local Woodcraft, I was told of an event in which customers were invited to turn a pen that would be sent to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. That was all she wrote. I was hooked, and I knew it.
It took me nearly a year of research, online learning, and saving to get my first lathe, but quickly learned that the lathe was only the beginning. I have been turning mostly pens, and other small items mainly because after the first gift, I keep getting requests for more. To date, I have yet to turn a bowl, which leads me to the most recent conclusion that I now have more things I want to try in woodturning than I have years left on this planet! I think if I could retire from truck driving today, and turn full time, I still would not be able to try everything that is locked away in my head, and this site has added more and more. I don't think I will ever tire of watching a square block of brown wood take on an elegant shape, and show me these wonderful colors and contrasts right before my eyes. It's been a wonderful ride so far, and I hope it is just the beginning.
Aside from the joy I get from turning itself, I also found the added benefit of a community of craftsmen/women that are so free to share their knowledge and experience like none I have ever seen. If one really wants to see what a family should look like, they need look no further than a group of woodturners- even if that group is one where each individual is meeting for the first time. That dynamic is a bonus that I would have never expected, and will always cherish.