Education

Early morning thoughts with Antonio Vivaldi: What a blessing it has been to have my mother-in-law, the Lady Hazel Welch Cole living with us. This past week at the supper table (that marvelous institution that has created so many great Southern story tellers) she began telling us how her father, back in the 1930s, would travel around the countryside and read newspapers and other things to folks who couldn’t read themselves. Born in the late 1890s, I’m sure Virgil Welch wasn’t highly educated, but was, nonetheless, willing to put what education he had to good use. Would that more people did that these days.

It seems now that we are beginning to distrust, even, with some, to despise education. Before we fall to this temptation, it might do us good to stop and think what it would be like if we couldn’t read—to go through life without ever seeing the wonderful words of Shakespeare or the Sermon on the Mount.

Much like a surgeon’s knife, education can be used to save life, comfort life, improve life, or destroy life. The use we choose remains the monumental challenge for each of us. As for me, I think I shall listen to the “better angels of my nature,” and try to make the world a little better place with the things I have studied and learned.

Also, I think I’ll encourage the Lady Hazel to tell us more about the old days as long as we have her with us.

 

 

Who knows what treasures lie in the minds,

and what goodness lies in the hearts, of others?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See also www.wattensawpress.com