Friday, July 22, 2011

Why I Went To School

And Other Surprises



When I was around 4 years old, I was very excited about being able to go to school.

This was because I believed that schools were the place where one went to learn things, to find answers, to access the vaults of wisdom, to expand and satisfy the hunger of intellectual inquisitiveness.

I was a child.



I didn’t know then that most people were in school because it was a requirement.

The answers that I sought were not being served up in the classrooms of the public school system, but when I was 7 I got my first library card and found some information was stored in the books that they had there. I devoured the books in the kids section which quickly earned me an adult card, and free run of the library. It was paradise for my hungry, growing mind.



Each step of the way through grade school, the kids and teachers would tell me how much harder it would be in the next grade. Imagine my disappointment as the the next grade would be no more intellectually satisfying than the one I just completed.

There were a few kids that were real smart in mathematics, but didn’t seem to use their intellect on anything else, so I didn’t spend much time with them.

I was filled with hopeful anticipation as the prospect of junior high was just around the corner and it was advertised as being much, much harder, requiring increased studying and hard work.



Nope! Same stuff, different school.

Here is your textbook. We will spend the entire school year, going through the contents at an excruciatingly slow, mind numbing pace, and giving tests to see if you have memorized the answers we give you.

“Well, you may think that junior high school is easy, but just wait; High school is a whole new level of hard stuff to learn.”

I sincerely hoped that they were right.



I guess I am an incurable optimist, because it took going to 3 different colleges to convince me that I was not going to find the scholarly answers I sought by spending additional time in traditional academic institutions. I am glad that things turned out the way they have.



This path has brought me to a place in my life where I have some wonderful, unique, supportive, understanding, and wise people as friends and associates.

Life Is Amazing. Here is a spectacularly beautiful place on this earth we live upon.
Take A Look.

Today’s Relatively Appropriate Song;




So Many Exciting Things To Learn

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