One of the things I do like about social media is the sharing of quotes. I love quotes. It's one of my favorite things. I love to take those quotes and use them for my own personal life. It's nice to be able to put a very mindful thought in such few words.
I found this quote, and it kind of bothered me. It was a quote about some of the things that should be taught in school. It started to list things like cooking, ironing, balancing a checkbook, various things like that. Things that may not have value in the workforce unless you become a cook, seamstress, or designer, etc., but things that people nowadays take complete advantage of not knowing.
When I responded to my friend who had posted this, I took a look back at the whole list, checking off everything I knew how to do or I had experience with, and then responded accordingly. I mentioned that most of those things were taught by my parents and at church. The only thing that I was taught at school was taxes only because I took a tax class for accounting.
It's been a few weeks since I saw that quote and I was thinking about it again today. I have or know quite a few people in my own church who teach at school. Someone asked me what I'm studying and what I was going to do with that degree. When people ask me about my degree and I tell them what I am studying, they automatically assume that I'm going into education because it's the degree that people in education usually study. That was not my path. I had thought about teaching a long time ago, but I really don't like having my hands tied to follow regulations when I may feel that I can do something better. I am the kind of person that will follow rules and regulations for the most part. But if I know that there something that will help me, I will go and do it. I've learned that sometimes you have to do something and apologize or repent later, as we call it.
So going back to this quote. I was thinking about it today and thinking that no, that stuff should not be taught in schools. I never took home economics because I didn't need to. My mother taught me how to cook. Now, I know that not everyone is brought up by a mother. But I truly believe in the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. What that means to me with this quote is that we all need to help each other. I really don't think cooking should be taught in school. I think it should be taught at home. Or if you are on the streets maybe your pals know how to cook outside. There will always be an excuse why someone doesn't have a home and believe me, I am extremely sympathetic towards that situation, as I have been homeless before. But, I believe we have a social and moral responsibility to each other. If parents are not around to teach, a neighbor, friend, or mentor should take that responsibility to teach the basic things of life. And if you don't know how to do it that means you need to learn from somebody else. We should all be sharing this kind of stuff. There is nothing here that can be claimed as ownership by one person.
After thinking about the though, it occurred to me that I should teach a class on the weekends on how to sew a button. It might be something I can start in January. Sounds like a good idea.
In school, did have home economics and I guess they still have it nowadays. I did learn how to do some sewing in school back in the day when things like that were taught. I had already learned elsewhere, though. The only thing I learned at school was how to do my taxes because I took a tax class for accounting. Someone who's not interested in accounting should learn how to or should take a class in simple taxes.
I think we're so conditioned to try to make so much money so that we would don't have to do that kind of medial work. I remember having a conversation with a coworker about how he was studying accounting and that he didn't know how to change the tire. I told him that he should learn how to do that kind of stuff, and asked him what happens when the car breaks down? He said that he would be so rich that he would pay for someone to fix it.
I think we all have dreams of being so rich that somebody else takes care of us. That would be really nice. Most of us are not born with a silver spoon. Most of us need to take care of ourselves or even wind up taking care of other people. Most of us have to work hard to get somewhere. It's call appreciating work. I don't think all of these things that people take for granted like cooking should be taught in school unless you want to be a chef. I don't think so sewing should be taught unless you want to go into designing. I don't think changing a flat tire should be taught in school unless you become a mechanic. I don't think it is the responsibility that schools take over the things that people should be teaching each other to survive. But to learn all of this and other little things that people don't know how to do should be taught to by each other. We should be teaching our neighbors, friends, kids across the street how to do these things. It might keep people out of trouble.
And I'm willing to do so. I can pretty much do the whole list although I've never tried to change the tire yet. But with all the information we have online nowadays, it can't be that hard. There are videos on how to cook. There are videos on how to take care of the car. If you can't find someone to teach you, go online. Teaching each other as a way that we take care of the people around us.
That I know how to do a lot of the stuff makes me feel little bit richer where I think it counts.
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