How Important I Think Education Is - DWC Day 20

To answer the question of how important I think education is, I'm going to tell you a short true story.

My grandfather, who was born and raised in the second decade of the 1900's, dropped out of school when he was in 8^th grade. As the eldest he had to go to work to help support the rest of the family. But he knew something that lots of college educated people don't seem to know, “Anything that you want to learn can be found in a book.” He needed to replace the engine in his truck, so he found a book and did it. When he retired, he needed a hobby, so he found plenty of books on jewelry making and how to pan for gold and bread making. And because he didn't have that silly piece of paper to show that he finished high school, he thought he was dumb. In reality, the fact that he was intelligent enough to find the answers meant that he was probably gifted.

Now today with the internet at hand, finding answers is as easy as finding Google. With answers on the internet, you have to have the sense to use the strength of your mind to wade through and weed out useless or erroneous information. Cross checking your facts is a clever practice.

Yes, education is important. Using our minds is incredibly important. Institutions of learning and homeschooling parents sometimes hit the mark, and sometimes they miss it. The only way to learn the things you truly want to know about is your own drive to find information, discovery of the ways that it can and can't be done, attempts at doing it their way, imaginings of if there is a better way, and attempts at doing it your way. You only die when you stop being able to learn.