How or why did you become a student of hand reading?

I was wondering how did your interest in hands begin?

I remember my father (gypsy background) looking at my hands as a child and making a few comments to me about what he saw.
Then as a teenager I remember reading somewhere (probably a magazine?) about the main lines. It can't have been a very indepth article, but I do recall some of what I examined on my palms from all those years ago (lines that stood out to me), though with no understanding to interpret any of it.
Then recently I saw someone on tv who is a palmist. She made a few comments to the panel of the chat show she was on and it sparked an interest. I have been reading up lots on the net over the past couple of weeks.
I'm now 'interneted out' (read what I can handle for now) and just waiting for my beginner guides to hands to arrive sometime within the next couple of weeks, and we'll see where I got from there.

So I see on this forum and other pages online many people interested in the subject, some with great knowledge and others just curious.

If anyone cares to share, how did it begin for you?