I Got Most Of My Education After I Left School

Maybe I just wasn’t listening, but in spite of all my good childhood teachers, much of my education for life has come the hard way, and well after I had to quit school at sixteen to work on our farm.

Here are some lessons I’m still learning (just turned 74) in the lifelong school of experience:

1. Becoming a full-fledged grownup takes time and work. I was in my forties when I realized how much I still thought of myself as a novice-come-lately, an inexperienced newcomer who had to accomplish twice as much to be seen as a competent and worthy adult. Not that I advocate being arrogant with others, just comfortably equal. I wish I had claimed that status sooner.

2. An ounce of prudence can prevent a ton of regret. I know mistakes are normal, and we can learn something from each of them, but I’ve also learned from experience that I don’t want to learn everything by experience. I’ve seen too many people desperately wishing they could go back in time and undo an impulsive decision they made in the past. I know I’ve made my full share of equally dumb moves, which only adds to my conviction that prevention is a lot better than cure.

3. Becoming a good human being is better than just being a great human doing. I’m glad for the good work ethic I learned early on, but for too long I’ve tried to burn the candle at both ends, have become over-involved in too many good things. In my old age I’m still learning that spending quality time with God and with my friends and family can be just as important as getting more stuff done.

4. Establishing lasting influence is better than exercising temporary control. I’m slowly learning that pressuring people with lots of intense arguments is a huge waste of time. People are more open to hear our points of view when we do more reflective listening and less reactive talking.

5. Maintaining good support networks is the best social security we can have. Since economies can fail, stock markets crash, and even whole nations collapse, our best long-term insurance is having communities and congregations of people so committed to each other that no one starves unless everyone starves. To the extent that we care for and nurture such communities, they will care for and nurture us.

Now if I could only get a diploma with all that learning.