intense focus
[email protected]
>>>>I can't understand why a child would claim to be addicted to something,unless they somehow got the idea from someone else that they shouldn't be
spending so much time on that activity or that that activity is somehow a
negative thing. Would any of us ever think that our child was addicted to
playing in the sandbox or riding their bike?<<<<
There's a lot of negative talk about "addictions" that aren't really
addictions---but rather intense focus. I believe whole-heartedly that intense focus is
a GOOD thing. And that they can come and go, wax and wane. Addictions aren't
like that.
My focal points have changed over the years---at different points in my life,
I've been EXTREMELY focused on dogs: their breeding, training, grooming,
showing, judging. Horses: their training, handling, grooming, racing, tack, and
showing. Travel. Food, parties, and entertaining. Remodeling and decorating old
houses. Gardening. Ancient civilizations and sociology. Astronomy. And land
searching. And beekeeping and alpacas. Unschooling is my main focus now---and I
had to throw myself into conferences for a while. Occasionally to the
detriment of other, more minor, things.
Focus is HARD for many people. And I think that maybe THEY see focus as an
addiction. Could that be possible?
Ben's most recent issue of The Wine Spectator had a full page ad with a hand
holding a trout. Underneath was this:
"He never learned to fly-fish. Or play a trombone. Or waterski. Or learn
German. Here's to 90 years of focus!
Happy 90th bithday, Robert Mondavi!"
Made my day! <G>
Screw "well-roundedness"!
~Kelly
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[email protected]
In a message dated 10/27/03 10:00:16 AM Eastern Standard Time,
kbcdlovejo@... writes:
AMEN!!! I look at an addiction as something someone does repeatedly that is
harmful to themselves, such as drugs, over eating, etc. I read every day, is
that an addiction? Absolutely not. Sometimes I enjoy a book so much that I
will read until I am finished, do nothing else except the
necessaries-bathroom, eating, etc. Still, not an addiction. A choice; there's a difference.
And thank you for saying "screw wellroundedness"!!! I feel the same way.
Why should I know the price in China when (a) I'm never going there and (b)
don't eat it anyway. And there are many other reasons not to know the price of
rice in China. There are many things I don't know, and I don't feel less of a
person for not filling myself up with a bunch of information that I will
eventually forget and never use anyway. What I do know, I know well, and what I
don't know, well, I have the internet and the library for that IF I actually want
to learn it!
Am I getting the hang of this unschooling or what??
Carol
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
kbcdlovejo@... writes:
> Focus is HARD for many people. And I think that maybe THEY see focus as anScrew "well-roundedness"!
> addiction. Could that be possible?
>
>
AMEN!!! I look at an addiction as something someone does repeatedly that is
harmful to themselves, such as drugs, over eating, etc. I read every day, is
that an addiction? Absolutely not. Sometimes I enjoy a book so much that I
will read until I am finished, do nothing else except the
necessaries-bathroom, eating, etc. Still, not an addiction. A choice; there's a difference.
And thank you for saying "screw wellroundedness"!!! I feel the same way.
Why should I know the price in China when (a) I'm never going there and (b)
don't eat it anyway. And there are many other reasons not to know the price of
rice in China. There are many things I don't know, and I don't feel less of a
person for not filling myself up with a bunch of information that I will
eventually forget and never use anyway. What I do know, I know well, and what I
don't know, well, I have the internet and the library for that IF I actually want
to learn it!
Am I getting the hang of this unschooling or what??
Carol
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]