"Actually," (our teacher) said one morning, "all education is self-education. A teacher is only a guide, to point out the way, and no school, no matter how excellent, can give you an education.

"What you receive is like the outlines in a child's coloring book. You must fill in the colors yourself.

"I hope, in these classes, to give you an idea of where you came from, how you got here, and what has been said about it."

Quote from: The Lonesome Gods by Louis L'Amour

   While I was living in Blanding, Utah I was looking for work. I interviewed for a job in Moab as a river guide for a rafting company. They put me in a tour group and one of the guides was showing me the ropes so to speak. It's interesting to note, that I could have become a guide after only one or two trips down the river. Also interesting to note is that guides are right there in the same boat as the guided going towards the same rapids. The difference is they have been there before and know how to attack them and what to expect. Just as I had someone guiding me, I was to turn around and guide others. I ended up not taking the job, but the point is hopefully made. You never see a guide shouting at you from the bank directions and points of interest. They are right there beside you on your journey. We as teachers and parents should be right there beside our children taking their journey with them. We've been down the river before, that's what qualifies us for the work. The rapids may be a little different or the angle from which we attack them might have changed, but we are in a good position to guide our youth just by being willing and excited. Nobody wants a boring guide, right? 

   We can't treat education like it's something we can endow on a child. Like a door prize for showing up at school. And it's not a package deal we can go shopping around for. The child at some point has to want to learn. Far more important than finding a good curriculum, or a good school district, is finding out what inspires your child. They have to take charge of their own education, and the best way for them to do that is to be inspired. Reading is a great way to get children inspired. A classic book became a classic because many people found it inspiring. When we think of classics, we usually think of books like "Moby Dick" or "The Iliad" or something along those lines, but there are classics at all reading levels and for many different subjects. Silverstein's "The Giving Tree" for example is one that little kids can read, enjoy, and learn from. We also need to be inspiring to the children around us. They should see us striving to learn and reading along with them. Together the guide and the guided travel down the same river.

"Your little boy loaded your pistols. How does he know to do such things?"

"I taught him ma'am. I have also taught him to respect weapons and handle them with care. We wish there were no violence in the world, but unhappily there are those who would use it against the weak. I would not be one of those."

Quote from: The Lonesome Gods by Louis L'Amour

   This isn't going to turn into a blog on the right to bear arms, so don't worry. I'm thinking more on our ability to defend ourselves than the right to do so. 

   Last year I was able to sit with the founder and developer of CQD, Mr. Duane Dieter, as he explained to me how he came to realize his life mission. In my last post I had a quote about deciding what you want to be and what you want to do not necessarily being the same thing, but sometimes it is. Well, for Duane, the two are one and the same. He began his life mission at a young age when he witnessed a violent attempted rape. This event left a lasting impression on him and he was determined to find a way to defend others against violence if he should ever come across such an opportunity again. He studied martial arts fervently, earning black belts in several different disciplines. He reminded me of a real life super hero in his desire to protect others. Not ever finding exactly what he was looking for though, he eventually created his own system of self defense and is teaching everybody who wants to learn. From government agencies, to housewives, his methods are helping save lives. 

   My wife and I have both taken introductory courses at CQD. I took some Kung Fu San Soo classes when I was in high school and I thought I had enough training to defend myself if attacked, but when I was put under a hood and that hood was removed and I was attacked, I had nothing. It all turned into a standing wrestling match. After only an hour of training using Duane's methods, I realized the effectiveness of it and how all my training really amounted to very little useful knowledge. 

   It's training that I will have my children go through when they are old enough. I think it is important to be able to defend yourself against those who are bent on doing violence against you. I'm with Louis L'Amour on this one. I wish there were no violence in the world, but there is, and I and my family won't lie down and play the victim.  

   Lastly, I will say that I intend to also teach my children to handle firearms. I have already given them some instruction on gun safety, aiming, sight picture, breathing, trigger squeeze, etc. I plan on putting my oldest in a rifle 4H club soon where he can practice these techniques. You never know when these skills might be needed. He might have to defend his animals against a fox one day...

   

"All life is based on decisions. Decide now on what you'd like to become and what you would like to do. The two are not necessarily the same, although sometimes they can be."

Quote from: The Lonesome Gods by  Louis L'Amour

   In 1988 a little boy of seven years got the idea from his older brother to become a helicopter pilot. The idea stuck. Twenty years later that boy's goal was realized when he went to flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Today I still fly helicopters. I decided then what I wanted to do, but what I want to be is a little less clear. Of course I want to be a good husband and father. I think there are still some decisions that need to be made to get me there. But on a larger scale I'm a little at a loss. 

   I find myself often thinking how great it would be to make it into the history books. To have people study about you and the great things you did. Who wouldn't want that? Then I find myself stumped at how to get to that point. After that a part of me checks my vanity and I question if that is truly a worthy goal or just something to inflate my ego. Finally I end up coming to the conclusion that in the end, the only thing that really matters is not my standing among great men and women of history but my standing with God. Perhaps there is a great mission for me to complete on this earth, perhaps not. The only thing I know is my mission to raise my children in righteousness and prepare myself and my family for eternity.

   I recently explained to my boys the Tower of Babel and why it was wrong of the people to try and build a tower to heaven. The thing is, the path to heaven is not laid brick by brick. Instead it is laid decision by decision. 

   

"Show them, Johannes! Become somebody! Do something! Make something of yourself!

"Listen to the men who come here. Listen well. Education is by no means confined to schools. Listen to such men talk, hear their philosophy, their ideas about the country, about business, trade, shipping, politics. Listen and learn. 

"Some people only learn by reading, others by doing or seeing, some learn by hearing. Learn however you can, but learn!

Quote from: The Lonesome Gods by Louis L'Amour

   No doubt a lot of learning can be done outside of school. In fact, there are a TON of videos on the internet, especially YouTube where you can watch lectures on several different topics. I watched a physics video on classical mechanics the other day, up until he started talking about Pythagorean theory equations and other formulas like it was common knowledge. I decided it was a little over my head. But if you're into that sort of thing there are entire physics college courses free for your viewing by clicking here. In fact, you can learn how to do pretty much anything on YouTube. Knowledge sharing used to be done in venues like bookstores, libraries, coffee shops, cafes, churches and other places where men and women would gather and talk. Conversations hold so much valuable information sometimes, if we just listen and want to learn, we can pick up on quite a bit. But, nowadays, conversations often take place at virtual venues and the crowd that gathers there is from across the world. This is truly a great day and age to learn. If you learn by seeing, there are videos. If you learn by doing, you can try out what you watched on said videos. If you learn by mistakes, then you'll have probably gained some great knowledge after attempting what you've watched. For those who learn best by reading, there are online libraries or your county libraries might use an app where you can check out books online and listen to audio books all for free. Even our farming county offers a virtual library. There is such a wealth of knowledge out there at our fingertips it's actually a little overwhelming.

   As for making something of yourself, I've had several conversations about the topic and its relation to college. There are a couple of ways these conversations go. One way is that a bachelor's degree has become more of a check-the-block than a measure of your expertise. Many careers want someone with a bachelor's degree (often it doesn't matter in what field) AND several years of experience. I know many government jobs still allow you to substitute schooling for experience, but in the civilian market it is tough to get a job just based off of education. Often a bachelor's degree doesn't even cut it. More often now you need at least a master's degree to be considered for a position.

   The other way these conversations go is that there are several ways to make a great living without even going to college. Many successful entrepreneurs did not ever get a degree. Bill Gates, probably the most famous and successful example, dropped out of college to pursue a business opportunity with Altair. Granted, he was in Harvard at the time and was a bright student and a veracious learner. Degrees don't always equal education. You can get a degree by cramming and passing tests. I should know, because that's basically how I got mine. Adversely, you can be highly educated without ever stepping foot in a school. There are many people who were and are better educated than me who have little more than a high school diploma or GED, sometimes not even that. They are those who love to learn and use every minute they can to gain knowledge. In the environment we live in today, there is no end to the things you can do and learn on your own. Your imagination is the only limit.

"You are a hero!" Miss Nesselrode said positively.

Papa smiled at her. "It is an empty word out here, ma'am. It is a word for writers and sitters by the fire. Out here a man does what the situation demands. Out on the frontier we do not have heroes, only people doing what is necessary at the time."

Quote from: The Lonesome Gods by Louis L'Amour

   As I thought about this quote a couple of things came to mind. I know a lot of folks in the military, law enforcement, EMS, and fire fighting community have this same sentiment. To be called a hero for just doing your job or looking out for your buddy is kind of a strange concept. I didn't know how to react when I came home from Afghanistan and that word was slung around me. I did nothing heroic. I certainly didn't feel heroic. I just did my job. And I rather enjoyed my job in the Army. I didn't enjoy being in Afghanistan, but putting up with an environment you don't particularly care for while doing something you love is not what I call being a hero. So what is the definition of a hero?

   Had I written this post yesterday, I would have said that Louis L'Amour's definition was a good one, namely, "doing what is necessary at the time." I would have added, "in spite of fear or danger." But this morning something happened that made me rethink that definition. I was shaving and a wasp came out of nowhere and swooped around me, probably attracted to the sound of my electric razor. So I calmly left the bathroom, shut the door, and finished my shave in the kids' bathroom. Then I went downstairs, fetched the flyswatter, and returned to the bathroom. The wasp was in a tricky spot to get at so I made a clumsy attempt to hit it which only confused it and made it reposition. The atmosphere was tense and things were a bit dodgy at times, but when it finally landed again, it was in an excellent spot. SMACK! went the flyswatter on the unfortunate creature. Then I unceremoniously flushed its remains down the toilet. "Why tell this story?" you might ask. Because it made me think back on the definition of a hero I had previously held. Here I was just doing what needed to be done to protect my wife when she was to next use the bathroom. There was a danger of getting stung and I was slightly afraid it might happen but I went in anyway. Am I a hero for killing the wasp? Of course not. The idea is laughable. So I have come to a different conclusion about the word "hero" and its meaning. My new definition is one that I think everyone can agree on. Heroism is like beauty. It's only in the eye of the beholder. One person may not consider themselves a hero, but if someone else sees them as one, then they are a hero, at least to that somebody. So, even though Zachery Verne in the quote above may not have thought himself a hero, to Miss Nesselrode he was. Therefore her declaration was correct after all.

My father was a tall man, and now he stood up. "My friend," he said, "I do not know what else I shall leave my son, but if I have left him a love of language, of literature, a taste for Homer, for the poets, the people who have told our story - and by 'our' I mean the story of mankind - then he will have legacy enough."

Quote from: The Lonesome Gods by Louis L'Amour

   I will never forget a family get-together we had at my sister's house  a couple of years ago. I have three siblings, all older than myself, with my sister being the oldest. We were all there. Parents included. Our conversation turned to books. As we talked about some of our favorite books I happened to glance over at my father. He was beaming. I could tell that he was reveling in the fact that his children were well read, educated, and actually having a meaningful discussion about books. His pride was apparent. And as a parent, I can see why. If there is one thing I want for my kids, it is for them to be humble followers of Christ. But if there is another thing I could ask for, it is for them to be thoughtful intellects. For in the grand scheme of things, there are only a few things we can keep when we leave this earth; our faith and the intelligence we've obtained are two of them. Joseph Smith taught, "Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come." So our efforts to help our children gain an education through their own diligence are not wasted. In fact, there are few endeavors more worthwhile. Why delegate that responsibility to those who are not nearly so vested in your children's progression? We lead by example. That is the basis of a legacy. Something that is upheld by one generation and passed on to the next. Like a love of learning. I can remember countless times seeing my father reading, or challenging his knowledge with crossword puzzles. We all knew him to be a learned man. 

   A common phrase I hear people say is, "I want to provide a better life for my children than I had." While this is a noble idea, the practice has resulted in cluttering children's lives with useless, yet expensive junk and spending too much time at work. Spoiling a child will not make their life better than yours. How did you become a decent person yourself? By struggling, by failing, by never quitting. You have to give your children opportunities to fail at things. Encourage them to keep trying, but don't hand them everything on a silver platter. The only thing they will gain from that is a sense of entitlement. We see that everywhere these days. That, I'm sure, is not the legacy we hope to leave our children. I hope that one day I can sit like my father, in a room full of family, educated, every one of them by their own means, and listen to them discuss good literature. That will be "legacy enough."

If we permit government to manufacture its own authority and to create self-proclaimed powers not delegated to it by the people, then the creature exceeds the creator and becomes master. Who is to say "this far, but no farther"? What clear principle will stay the hand of government from reaching farther and farther into our daily lives? Grover Cleveland said that "though the people support the Government, the Government should not support the people."

Quote from: "The Proper Role of Government" by Ezra Taft Benson in October 1968 Conference Report

   In light of the LDS general conference going on today, I decided to quote this talk I read the other day. The entire article/talk is extremely provocative and profound. You can read it yourself at this link and I HIGHLY encourage you to do so.

   To begin, the government should only have the authority that the individual citizens have. We have the right to defend ourselves, our family, and our property. We delegate this power to the government and that is its fundamental role. Protection of life and property. Somewhere along the way the government has taken far more power than its citizens have. That's what is meant by the creature exceeding the creator. For example, we, as individuals, do not have the power to take money or property from another citizen. However, the government has taken that authority. From where? I don't know. 

   

   I came across this article from a friend who posted it on Facebook. She is fighting the government to protect her right to keep her children from being tested against her will. She received a letter from the school district saying there is no opt out option and "Therefore your request to opt out of state testing cannot be allowed." This is a clear sign of the government overstepping its boundaries. We hired the government to educate our children when we created free public schools. By "free" I mean tax funded. We pay the government's education bills, we hire the school board leaders, we delegate our authority to them to teach our kids. They can not have greater power than the parents who hired them. Who is the boss here? WE ARE. But somehow that is being forgotten. We can not look the other way as the government continues to encroach from all directions on our freedoms that we created and hired it to protect.  

   Ezra Taft Benson gives some real viable advice. He said, "Three factors may make a difference: (1) sufficient historical knowledge of the failures of socialism in contrast to the proven success of free enterprise; (2) modern means of rapid communications to transmit this information to a large literate population; (3) a growing number of dedicated men and women actively working to promote a wider appreciation of these basic concepts. The timely joining together of these three factors may make it entirely possible for us to reverse the trend." In this spirit I am posting his article to Facebook and sharing it here on this blog. Then, the next step is to vote. Another step that I think many people forget is writing their representatives. Make the men and women representing you aware of your views.

   I almost feel like apologizing for posting such a politically charged post, but it is something I feel strongly about and have become more passionate about recently. It is an important topic though. Next to religion of course. Funny how those two topics are the two that people hate to talk about the most. I believe that it is because we have too many emotions wrapped into these topics and it's hard not to let those emotions out during these discussions. We'd rather talk about what celebrities are up to or what scandals are going on in the world, because there is no emotional attachment to them. I like to talk about religion though. I think it is by far the most important topic that can be discussed. I try to keep emotions out of my discussions and I think I do fairly well at it. I hope that any discussions on this blog will also be respectful and level-headed.

"Men needed stories to lead them to create, to build, to conquer, even to survive, and without them the human race would have vanished long ago. Men strive for peace, but it is their enemies that give them strength, and I think if a man no longer had enemies, he would have to invent them, for his strength only grows from struggle."

Quote from: The Lonesome Gods by Louis L'Amour

   This quote made me think of the history of story telling and its role in human history. The Navajo language is probably the most famous among Americans for having had no written form. It was partly why Navajo code talkers were so successful in WWII and why their code was never broken. But to have an unwritten language, your entire history as a people must be passed down through stories, ceremonies, and songs. All the wisdom of the elders, the lessons learned the hard way, the way to survive must all be passed orally. Since every language started out unwritten, the human species has relied on stories to survive this long. To this day we still share wisdom through stories. In essence, this is the whole reason my blog exists. Learning from the stories written by great minds. 

   As for people needing an antagonist to grow, I think that there is some truth to that. It doesn't need to be another person or group of people, but can be as simple as a topic of study or a problem that we have to overcome. What I do agree with is that "strength only grows from struggle." I was listening to NPR on the radio while I was driving the long stretches of open road on the Navajo reservation during work one day when a piece about the difference of eastern cultural and western culture on education came up. The transcript of the broadcast is linked here for you to read. It opened my mind to the way we communicate to our children. I think it is important to help your child understand that inherent ability is not the end all. They should understand that struggling is the way we learn and that it is completely normal. The process is the important part and if you're not struggling, you should be trying something more difficult. I have tried to convey this to my children but I must confess, I am still not successful. If my son has any difficulty while practicing his cello, he immediately gets discouraged and often starts to cry. If he could understand that struggling through something doesn't mean he's not smart, it just means that he is learning and must continue to give it effort before he will get it, he could enjoy his lessons more, have greater patience with himself, and grow much faster in his ability. As the broadcast states, it is very hard to change a culture, "but it can be done. For example, could we change our views of learning and place more of an emphasis on struggle? Yeah."