"My education was only interrupted by my schooling" - Winston Churchill

I found out early on that I didn't pay a huge amount of attention at school. I enjoyed school but I daydreamed, which meant I wasn't the most productive pupil in class. These are some of the things from my primary school reports:

"Thomas listens well, tries hard to implement instructions but he does get discouraged easily."

"Very popular pupil - he has a charming manner - work is very well presented and Thomas is attentive during teaching periods but he must guard against day-dreaming when left to finish exercises."

"Such a pleasant and popular pupil - he works well - but at his own pace - which sometimes is a little slow and ponderous."

I love these three. The last one is great. I read these for the first time since primary school a couple of years ago. My Mum in her infinite wisdom had given them to me to look after and as I love reading, I read up on this little person from 20 odd years ago.

What I found funny in my reports was that being slow and ponderous was a bad thing. Being a day dreamer is also conceived to be a negative. Funny that I've never really grown out of those things. They have become part of my character and what I am good at! I can't say I've tried to be anything I'm not, I've not tried to change these "negatives", I'm a thinker and that is both my downfall and my skill.

My reason for bringing this up was to highlight what Winston Churchill said above. Our education is thought of as our school years, however our lives are an education in themselves. We never stop learning and if we do then what is the point of living? That's a separate question for you to "ponder" yourselves!

By being slow, ponderous and a day dreamer it has enabled me to follow what I enjoy, to learn all manner of lessons and to soak up experiences around me. I enjoyed school, but not for the learning. I enjoyed it for the people, the experiences and the development of me as a person.

I took what I learnt from school and developed it in the real world, I expanded on my good points and worked to improve my bad points. This is education. I won't ever be perfect, but I hope never to lose the desire to learn from others and always be open to new ideas, techniques and beliefs.

Whilst people are fretting over the cost of higher education I am thinking about how I can improve myself and trying to act on that. I am not perfect by any means, but there is no harm in working towards perfection.

I have discovered in the process of learning that the people around me are some of the best teachers I know. My friend Gervase from GSharp tools is a patient, kind and thoughtful man. He has a passion for his work that I can only daydream to emulate. My girlfriend Catherine is a dedicated hard worker, organised to a T and a great project manager. My Dad is a generous, thoughtful supporter. An encyclopedia of knowledge, which he can freely apply to the practical. There are many others around me, both within my family and my friends circle that I look to and learn from. I don't need a school or teachers to learn from as I am already there.

Getting back to the carpentry I am looking forward to practicing my skills in my backyard soon. I am building a small roofed work area to practice my skills. I'll keep you up to date with my process.

Until then keep learning, day dreaming and pondering. You'll be amazed at what you can create.

Tom :-)




- Posted using a modern day type writer