Education, Life Lessons, and a Learning of Experience:
By Edward Blanchette
I wanted to take a moment and reflect a bit on education, as we wind down the summer and prepare our youth to go back to school, whether be it Elementary School, High School or College. I am sure most of you are anxious to get started again with your educational learning process. I remember when I was younger, things seemed to be much simpler than today. Back then we didn’t have computers, cell phones or CD’s. Don’t get me wrong, there were always challenges with each generation of students that we faced, we all had to endure and go through those challenges to get us where we are in our lives, as we have lived or are currently living in. If there is one thing that I have learned, Life doesn’t stop happening and with that, neither does the education.
There will always be those special Teachers & Mentors throughout our learning process that have motivated, inspired, and pushed us to be successful or at the very least, to be a solvent member of our respective communities. That one or two individuals, other than your Parents, that created a fire or an interest to be better, to be more than just being, to make a difference. Somehow, they saw the potential of You, before you saw it yourself. I was fortunate to have a few of those individuals, that saw something that made them to want to reach out and make the difference to inspire someone.
Education, in my mind, is not just about reading, writing and arithmetic, it is much more. As those aspects are important in gaining knowledge, as are the Life Lessons we learn every day. The lessons of compassion, empathy, responsibility, accountability, and at best… becoming humble, and hopefully confident in the process. The Teachers and Mentors in our lives teach us those qualities as well. In addition to how to overcome the objections that life will throw at us. Making the choices, both good & bad, and how to deal with those proverbial forks in the road to get us through. These are what assist us in making those choices, as we move through our lives and hopefully meet the expectations of community to make a positive difference, in what seems to be, at times, a chaotic world.
So, if you know a Teacher or a Mentor, thank them for the Education they were a part of, in your lives, both the academic and the Learning of Experience through Life Lessons. For they are and always will be essential to who you are. And with each passing day, we are always educated to learning a little something more that benefits all of us, in a positive way, one way or another. And if you can teach or mentor someone along the way, do so. For the rewards go to all involved.
Remember, we are all in this together, this thing called Life. Be well, be kind, and most of all be Positive. God Bless and have a safe and bountiful school year..