Two things that I have been thinking about tonight:
The fulfillment from talking about things you are passionate about with the people that you love and the advantages of ideas in the wilderness. I want to write about the first tonight, and I may write about the second tomorrow.
Today, I drove to my parents’ home in Kansas for Christmas. While I don’t live here anymore, it still feels like home to me. It’s where most of my family lives and it’s where most of my friends are. I’ve only been away for three months, but it felt different coming home this time. I was more full of excitement and passion about what I’ve been doing than I have been in the past.
Some of this came from the 6 hours of podcasts that I listened to on the way home, but I also know that I have learned so much more in the past three months than I ever have in a three-month period before. I have become so much more curious of the world and how things work. I have begun asking questions about things that I didn’t know existed three months ago. I have learned how to do things that I thought only “professionals” did.
In general, I have become a better self-learner in every way. While this is exciting, the most excitement comes for me when I can use this new knowledge to have meaningful conversations with the people that I love. To tell them about the things that I am learning and the things that I have been able to create through that learning.
I think I had forgotten this. That is, I have been so occupied in learning new things and gaining new skills, especially in the last month, that I didn’t take time to talk to people who are passionate about the things I am passionate about. I wasn’t completely devoid of this, but most of the conversations I’ve had recently were more me trying to prove a point than they were me compiling points with a kindred mind.
First off, I am so thankful to have parents who are completely supportive and who think outside the box. I spent probably two hours talking to them, especially my dad, about some of the things that I have been learning. Especially my passion for thinking outside the public school system.
On my way home, I listened to an episode of the “Educationeering” podcast with Lolita Allgyer and Derek Magill (which you should totally check out by the way), and Derek talks about his frustration with the education system today. At one point in the interview, he says –
“I think compulsory schooling is a great moral evil. A great crime. It’s tragic, and I think we’re going to look back hopefully in 50…I mean hopefully 20…maybe 50-100 years and we’re going to see this as an absolutely horrific crime that we did to our young people.
This is something that my dad has believed for a long time and I couldn’t agree more, but I felt like I couldn’t put it in this strong of words until recently. However, after realizing the full impact of what the “education” system has turned into, I have become more passionate than ever about my belief in education being done in homes vs by the state.
Instead of talking with someone about this and trying to convince them of my points the entire time, it was so refreshing talking to my dad who not only agreed with my points but then added points of his own to compound the idea.
Now, I hope you don’t take this as “I like to hear people tell me what I want to hear.” I absolutely think everyone needs to have people in their life who will tell them what they don’t want to hear. The disagreements of life are what keep new ideas flowing, and I think you should absolutely be having conversations with people who think differently from you. I simply also think that it’s important to have people in your life that you can share ideas with and be filled rather than be drained.
Also, if you knew anything about my family, you’d know that besides maybe my mom, nobody will tell you something just because it’s what you want to hear. We’ll tell you what we believe to be true and if that’s different from what you believe, so be it.
All of that being said, I feel so filled with passion this evening. There are so many things running through my mind of what needs to be done in the world and what I can do to make it happen.
All of this has made me realize how much I mean it when I say to please reach out to me if you have thoughts, ideas, or questions on the things I’ve written. I truly love talking with conflicting and like-minded creatives alike.
Throwing a Frisbee really far is fun, but it’s most fun when you have someone who catches it and others trying to knock it down.
(for those who don’t understand sports analogies: thoughts and ideas are fun to have and keep to yourself, but they’re most fun when you tell others about them and they are able to give input on what their thoughts and disagreements are.)