Over a hot mug of french press coffee, my friend Anna and I began to talk of school (since it is the beginning of a new semester) ...and how I am excited for new classes. At the same time I wish I could learn about the world by traveling, or learn from people (like Anna) and their particular skills, wisdom and such, and from experiences that are to be had. I suppose I can still have those now, but my time is more focused. I know now this time of my life is meant to be in the academic world... to sit in white walled rooms and desks just big enough fit a piece of paper on and take in as much information and process that into knowledge and wisdom. In this place I learn much and am thankful for much, however I am excited to continue my education outside the "pine tree curtain" for my education will never end until I die.
Here are a few quotes Anna shared with me from a book called "Laddie"...
"Is he well educated?"
"Yes, I think so, as far as he's gone," I answered. "Of course he will go on being educated every day of his life, same as father. He says it is all rot about 'finishing' your education. You never do. You learn more important things each day, and by the time you are old enough to die, you have almost enough sense to know how to live comfortably..."
"School houses are made wrong. If they must be, they should be built in a woods pasture beside a stream, where you could wade, swim, and be comfortable in summer, and slide and skate in winter. The windows should be cut to the floor, and stand wide open, so the birds and butterflies could pass through. You ought to learn your geography by climbing a hill, walking through a valley, wading creeks, making islands in them , and promontories, capes, and peninsulas along the bank. You should do your arithmetic sitting under trees adding hickory nuts, subtracting walnuts, multiplying butternuts, and dividing hazelnuts. You could use apples for fractions, and tin cups for liquid measure. You could spell everything in sight and this would teach you the words that are really used in the world. Every single one of us could spell incompatibility, but I never heard father, or the judge, or even the Bishop, put it in a speech.
If you simply can't have school that way, then you should be shut in black cells, deep under the ground, where you couldn't see, or hear a sound..."
(and as I was typing this out I misspelled incompatibility...as my dear friend Anna was more than happy to point out!)
