Stories out there?
leavingemeraldcity
As someone wanting to move into unschooling after having used a more
structured approach for several years, I'm wondering if there are
stories out there from anyone who has learned to "let go" (of
structure, of expectations for "measureable" progress, of conventional
notions of what constitutes "productive" time, etc). I know that the
nagging worries I will be dealing with have more to do with my own
preconceived notions and desire to feel that I as a parent am doing
the right thing, than worries that my children will or won't learn. I
would love to have some stories from those who have gone through this
process, to keep the worries at bay. Perhaps someone can share, or
point me to some good websites/links. Thanks,
Tamara
structured approach for several years, I'm wondering if there are
stories out there from anyone who has learned to "let go" (of
structure, of expectations for "measureable" progress, of conventional
notions of what constitutes "productive" time, etc). I know that the
nagging worries I will be dealing with have more to do with my own
preconceived notions and desire to feel that I as a parent am doing
the right thing, than worries that my children will or won't learn. I
would love to have some stories from those who have gone through this
process, to keep the worries at bay. Perhaps someone can share, or
point me to some good websites/links. Thanks,
Tamara
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: leavingemeraldcity <jtmartin@...>
As someone wanting to move into unschooling after having used a more
structured approach for several years, I'm wondering if there are
stories out there from anyone who has learned to "let go" (of
structure, of expectations for "measureable" progress, of conventional
notions of what constitutes "productive" time, etc). I know that the
nagging worries I will be dealing with have more to do with my own
preconceived notions and desire to feel that I as a parent am doing
the right thing, than worries that my children will or won't learn. I
would love to have some stories from those who have gone through this
process, to keep the worries at bay. Perhaps someone can share, or
point me to some good websites/links. Thanks,
-=-=-
I was privately schooled, sent my older son to the same private school for eight years (as the
*ultimate roommom*), pulled him out, and began radically unschooling. I'm now the Billy Graham of
unschooling.
Whatdya wanna know?
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
From: leavingemeraldcity <jtmartin@...>
As someone wanting to move into unschooling after having used a more
structured approach for several years, I'm wondering if there are
stories out there from anyone who has learned to "let go" (of
structure, of expectations for "measureable" progress, of conventional
notions of what constitutes "productive" time, etc). I know that the
nagging worries I will be dealing with have more to do with my own
preconceived notions and desire to feel that I as a parent am doing
the right thing, than worries that my children will or won't learn. I
would love to have some stories from those who have gone through this
process, to keep the worries at bay. Perhaps someone can share, or
point me to some good websites/links. Thanks,
-=-=-
I was privately schooled, sent my older son to the same private school for eight years (as the
*ultimate roommom*), pulled him out, and began radically unschooling. I'm now the Billy Graham of
unschooling.
Whatdya wanna know?
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
leavingemeraldcity
Hi Kelly;
When you pulled your son out, did you take an unschooling approach
from the start, or did you start with some more structured things and
gradually move toward unschooling? Did you have to work through fears
of "covering the basics" or having him fall behind others in skills?
From an intellectual level, I understand and wholeheartedly agree with
the unschooling philosophy. I have the Unschooling Handbook and have
read it through a few times over the years, as well as Gatto's
Underground History of American Education. Everything within me says a
big resounding YES to the idea of unschooling, but when it comes down
to it I have to deal with the fears that have been engrained in me
from all my years of schooling and then classroom teaching.
Everything around us demands measureable results, and going against
the grain is hard, especially as there is no unschooling group around
here to provide support. So, hearing how others have taken the plunge
and dealt with all those things would be reassuring. Do you have
support from your (extended) family?
Tamara
---
When you pulled your son out, did you take an unschooling approach
from the start, or did you start with some more structured things and
gradually move toward unschooling? Did you have to work through fears
of "covering the basics" or having him fall behind others in skills?
From an intellectual level, I understand and wholeheartedly agree with
the unschooling philosophy. I have the Unschooling Handbook and have
read it through a few times over the years, as well as Gatto's
Underground History of American Education. Everything within me says a
big resounding YES to the idea of unschooling, but when it comes down
to it I have to deal with the fears that have been engrained in me
from all my years of schooling and then classroom teaching.
Everything around us demands measureable results, and going against
the grain is hard, especially as there is no unschooling group around
here to provide support. So, hearing how others have taken the plunge
and dealt with all those things would be reassuring. Do you have
support from your (extended) family?
Tamara
---
[email protected]
>>As someone wanting to move into unschooling after having used a morestructured approach for several years, I'm wondering if there are
stories out there from anyone who has learned to "let go" (of
structure, of expectations for "measureable" progress, of conventional
notions of what constitutes "productive" time, etc).>>
Welcome Tamara. I took my son out of public school in 4th grade and am a recovering "good student" myself. So I've had lots to let go of.
Here's a link to a presentation I gave about my unschooling journey. http://www.sandradodd.com/gold/journey.html That should get you started. You might find other useful bits in some of the articles I've written about our unschooling lives. http://sandradodd.com/marygold I can see the learning everywhere now. :o)
Life is good.
--
~Mary, unschooling mom to Conor (16) and Casey (11)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CorvallisTLC/
"The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the
green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly
alive."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Brooke North
was the conference in columbia, sc for unschoolers do you know any meet up
groups with yonger kids also I have kid two 6 one 2 in desperate need of
group support in the form of a meet up does anyone know where I should look
for this in columbia, sc
brooke
groups with yonger kids also I have kid two 6 one 2 in desperate need of
group support in the form of a meet up does anyone know where I should look
for this in columbia, sc
brooke
On 11/10/05, zenmomma@... <zenmomma@...> wrote:
>
> >>As someone wanting to move into unschooling after having used a more
> structured approach for several years, I'm wondering if there are
> stories out there from anyone who has learned to "let go" (of
> structure, of expectations for "measureable" progress, of conventional
> notions of what constitutes "productive" time, etc).>>
>
> Welcome Tamara. I took my son out of public school in 4th grade and am a
> recovering "good student" myself. So I've had lots to let go of.
>
> Here's a link to a presentation I gave about my unschooling journey.
> http://www.sandradodd.com/gold/journey.html That should get you started.
> You might find other useful bits in some of the articles I've written about
> our unschooling lives. http://sandradodd.com/marygold I can see the
> learning everywhere now. :o)
>
> Life is good.
>
> --
>
> ~Mary, unschooling mom to Conor (16) and Casey (11)
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CorvallisTLC/
>
> "The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the
> green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly
> alive."
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
> ------------------------------
> YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>
>
> - Visit your group "unschoolingbasics<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics>"
> on the web.
> - To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> [email protected]<[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>
> - Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
> Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Pamela Sorooshian
Read a lot. Read Sandra Dodd's website - maybe an article per day, as
an every day inspirational?
Read "The Book of Learning and Forgetting" by Frank Smith. He isn't
even an unschooler - but he took a fresh approach and studied
learning and came to a lot of conclusions that we unschoolers have
come to through trial and error with our own children. I found his
book VERY encouraging and supportive of an unschooling lifestyle.
-pam
an every day inspirational?
Read "The Book of Learning and Forgetting" by Frank Smith. He isn't
even an unschooler - but he took a fresh approach and studied
learning and came to a lot of conclusions that we unschoolers have
come to through trial and error with our own children. I found his
book VERY encouraging and supportive of an unschooling lifestyle.
-pam
On Nov 10, 2005, at 11:22 AM, leavingemeraldcity wrote:
> So, hearing how others have taken the plunge
> and dealt with all those things would be reassuring. Do you have
> support from your (extended) family?
> Tamara
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
---Original Message-----
From: leavingemeraldcity jtmartin@...
Hi Kelly;
When you pulled your son out, did you take an unschooling approach
from the start, or did you start with some more structured things and
gradually move toward unschooling?
-=-=-=-
He left school at the end of sixth grade (eight yeras of schooling---preK & K). I did what was recommended at unschooling.com: have summer vacation---don't make him do anything that even resembles school. Since it WAS summer vacation, that wasn't so hard. He & I went to Baltimore for a magic convention, then he flew to Australia for three weeks with People to People. The rest of the summer, he just hung out with friends while I read everything I could about unschooling.
I *say* we took a sharp left turn from private school to unschooling-and it WAS pretty direct. I ordered a whole lot of curriculum catalogues, but never bought anything. Unschooling just made sooo much sense right away!
Putting into practice, well...that's another thing! <g>
-=-=-=-=-
Did you have to work through fears
of "covering the basics" or having him fall behind others in skills?
-=-=-=-
Not so much *fears*. More like indoctrination. He told me he was *never* going to read again. Great! <g>
I did stupid things like exclaim, "That's geometry!" when we packed the car for a trip to Savannah. And "That's algebra!" when he and a friend figured out a handicap while swimming. I read every day to him---mornings, usually, while he was still in bed. Short stories, mostly. Poems. I would ask him to create a piece of artwork that would relate the story or poem I'd just read. (ugh!)
I also found a few unschooly books: Skellig, Stargirl. We watched Ferris Beuller's Day Off---and I couldn't leave well-enough alone! <BWG> I *had* to mention how much they learned! <G?
I *knew* he was smart, so I never really worried about his falling behind or covering bases. ALSO---and I just now realized this, but he'd been in private school. I knew he was already 2-3 grades ahead of the public schooled kids his age anyway---so I guess that, in a way, gave me some comfort. Never really thought of that before..
-=-=-=-=-
From an intellectual level, I understand and wholeheartedly agree with
the unschooling philosophy.
-=-=--=
Yeah---that seems to be the easy part! <g>
-=-=-=-
I have the Unschooling Handbook and have
read it through a few times over the years, as well as Gatto's
Underground History of American Education. Everything within me says a
big resounding YES to the idea of unschooling, but when it comes down
to it I have to deal with the fears that have been engrained in me
from all my years of schooling and then classroom teaching.
-=-=-=-=-
Well, looking at what you've learned without school can be *very* enlightening. My biggest year of learning (still) was my junior year in college when I went to Germany and Vienna. I didn't spend much time in actual classes---Europe was my *school*. So I really saw first-hand how much the classes actually meant and how much my "free" time in the café's and at friends' homes and in the Oper really meant and that that was when the REAL learning happened. Really opened my eyes to schooling. I hardly learned *anything* useful in the classes at the University of Vienna---the cool stuff happened AFTER classes!
We say that the rule of thumb regarding unschooling is one month for each year of schooling---that means YOU too! If you spent 12 years in school, four years in college, two years in grad school, three years teaching (for example)---that's a BUNCH of schooling to be getting rid of!!! Your child will get it MONTHS before YOU do---IF you let him! <bwg>
-=-=-=-
Everything around us demands measureable results,
-=-==-
Noooo. Around schoolteachers, maybe. But not in *my* life! <G>
You just have to let that old life go!
-=-=-==-
and going against the grain is hard,
-=-=-=-
But that's true no matter *what* you do! <g>
-=-=-=-=-
especially as there is no unschooling group around here to provide support.
-=-=-=-
Where are you? You may be surprised!
-=-=-=-
So, hearing how others have taken the plunge
and dealt with all those things would be reassuring.
-=-=-=-
That's what's so wonderful about these lists and the conference. The lists can give you daily affirmation and support (even though we don't SAY we do, it happens all the same! <G>). The conference allows you to actually SEE others on the same path.
We're all out here, but we're busy doing our own thangs.
-=-=-=-
Do you have support from your (extended) family?
-=-=-=-
My mother's a bit nuts, so I could explain and explain until I'm dead , and she'd ask, but how will he learn to read. I just don't bother there! <G>
My father is a psychiatrist. When we told him we were going to homeschool the boys, he said. "All the homeschooling moms I've known (many because of his business) have been some of the smartest women I've met! You'll do just fine." He still doesn't get the UNschooling, but he sees how much the boys know and that they aren't floundering and stupid. that helps a lot. He took Cameron (17) to Scotland this August for 10 days. He was SOOOO impressed, I'll never hear another word against unschooling ever again, I bet! <G> Cameron really wowed him!
My brother isn't married, has no children, hated school, and is a captain of a yacht. He couldn't care less!
Ben's family is a whole 'nother story. I just don't do the Lovejoy Christmas party. I hand him the phone as soon as I know it's one of them. They're very controlling with their own kids, and have attacked us in the past---not mean---just "questioning"-you know. But ALL the nieces and nephews LOVE it here! <G> My children don't want to go to their houses, but all the other cousins want to be HERE! <G> We got one here for a week last year because he was suspended from school. His older brother ran away a couple of weeks ago because he didn't want to take the SAT and he knew his parents would be mad. The older sister was supposed to go to med school after graduating from college. Decided that 17 years of schooling was too much and didn't want any more! Is going to be a bum for a few years. Freaking the family out! <G>
My kids are happy. It's soo obvious. I just smile and wave my hand dismissively and say, "The proof is in the pudding, and I'm a patient cook." <g>
How old are your children? And when did they leave school?
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://liveandlearnconference.org
-----Original Message-----
From: leavingemeraldcity <jtmartin@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thu, 10 Nov 2005 19:22:05 -0000
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: Stories out there?
Hi Kelly;
When you pulled your son out, did you take an unschooling approach
from the start, or did you start with some more structured things and
gradually move toward unschooling? Did you have to work through fears
of "covering the basics" or having him fall behind others in skills?
From an intellectual level, I understand and wholeheartedly agree with
the unschooling philosophy. I have the Unschooling Handbook and have
read it through a few times over the years, as well as Gatto's
Underground History of American Education. Everything within me says a
big resounding YES to the idea of unschooling, but when it comes down
to it I have to deal with the fears that have been engrained in me
from all my years of schooling and then classroom teaching.
Everything around us demands measureable results, and going against
the grain is hard, especially as there is no unschooling group around
here to provide support. So, hearing how others have taken the plunge
and dealt with all those things would be reassuring. Do you have
support from your (extended) family?
Tamara
---
Yahoo! Groups Links
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
From: leavingemeraldcity jtmartin@...
Hi Kelly;
When you pulled your son out, did you take an unschooling approach
from the start, or did you start with some more structured things and
gradually move toward unschooling?
-=-=-=-
He left school at the end of sixth grade (eight yeras of schooling---preK & K). I did what was recommended at unschooling.com: have summer vacation---don't make him do anything that even resembles school. Since it WAS summer vacation, that wasn't so hard. He & I went to Baltimore for a magic convention, then he flew to Australia for three weeks with People to People. The rest of the summer, he just hung out with friends while I read everything I could about unschooling.
I *say* we took a sharp left turn from private school to unschooling-and it WAS pretty direct. I ordered a whole lot of curriculum catalogues, but never bought anything. Unschooling just made sooo much sense right away!
Putting into practice, well...that's another thing! <g>
-=-=-=-=-
Did you have to work through fears
of "covering the basics" or having him fall behind others in skills?
-=-=-=-
Not so much *fears*. More like indoctrination. He told me he was *never* going to read again. Great! <g>
I did stupid things like exclaim, "That's geometry!" when we packed the car for a trip to Savannah. And "That's algebra!" when he and a friend figured out a handicap while swimming. I read every day to him---mornings, usually, while he was still in bed. Short stories, mostly. Poems. I would ask him to create a piece of artwork that would relate the story or poem I'd just read. (ugh!)
I also found a few unschooly books: Skellig, Stargirl. We watched Ferris Beuller's Day Off---and I couldn't leave well-enough alone! <BWG> I *had* to mention how much they learned! <G?
I *knew* he was smart, so I never really worried about his falling behind or covering bases. ALSO---and I just now realized this, but he'd been in private school. I knew he was already 2-3 grades ahead of the public schooled kids his age anyway---so I guess that, in a way, gave me some comfort. Never really thought of that before..
-=-=-=-=-
From an intellectual level, I understand and wholeheartedly agree with
the unschooling philosophy.
-=-=--=
Yeah---that seems to be the easy part! <g>
-=-=-=-
I have the Unschooling Handbook and have
read it through a few times over the years, as well as Gatto's
Underground History of American Education. Everything within me says a
big resounding YES to the idea of unschooling, but when it comes down
to it I have to deal with the fears that have been engrained in me
from all my years of schooling and then classroom teaching.
-=-=-=-=-
Well, looking at what you've learned without school can be *very* enlightening. My biggest year of learning (still) was my junior year in college when I went to Germany and Vienna. I didn't spend much time in actual classes---Europe was my *school*. So I really saw first-hand how much the classes actually meant and how much my "free" time in the café's and at friends' homes and in the Oper really meant and that that was when the REAL learning happened. Really opened my eyes to schooling. I hardly learned *anything* useful in the classes at the University of Vienna---the cool stuff happened AFTER classes!
We say that the rule of thumb regarding unschooling is one month for each year of schooling---that means YOU too! If you spent 12 years in school, four years in college, two years in grad school, three years teaching (for example)---that's a BUNCH of schooling to be getting rid of!!! Your child will get it MONTHS before YOU do---IF you let him! <bwg>
-=-=-=-
Everything around us demands measureable results,
-=-==-
Noooo. Around schoolteachers, maybe. But not in *my* life! <G>
You just have to let that old life go!
-=-=-==-
and going against the grain is hard,
-=-=-=-
But that's true no matter *what* you do! <g>
-=-=-=-=-
especially as there is no unschooling group around here to provide support.
-=-=-=-
Where are you? You may be surprised!
-=-=-=-
So, hearing how others have taken the plunge
and dealt with all those things would be reassuring.
-=-=-=-
That's what's so wonderful about these lists and the conference. The lists can give you daily affirmation and support (even though we don't SAY we do, it happens all the same! <G>). The conference allows you to actually SEE others on the same path.
We're all out here, but we're busy doing our own thangs.
-=-=-=-
Do you have support from your (extended) family?
-=-=-=-
My mother's a bit nuts, so I could explain and explain until I'm dead , and she'd ask, but how will he learn to read. I just don't bother there! <G>
My father is a psychiatrist. When we told him we were going to homeschool the boys, he said. "All the homeschooling moms I've known (many because of his business) have been some of the smartest women I've met! You'll do just fine." He still doesn't get the UNschooling, but he sees how much the boys know and that they aren't floundering and stupid. that helps a lot. He took Cameron (17) to Scotland this August for 10 days. He was SOOOO impressed, I'll never hear another word against unschooling ever again, I bet! <G> Cameron really wowed him!
My brother isn't married, has no children, hated school, and is a captain of a yacht. He couldn't care less!
Ben's family is a whole 'nother story. I just don't do the Lovejoy Christmas party. I hand him the phone as soon as I know it's one of them. They're very controlling with their own kids, and have attacked us in the past---not mean---just "questioning"-you know. But ALL the nieces and nephews LOVE it here! <G> My children don't want to go to their houses, but all the other cousins want to be HERE! <G> We got one here for a week last year because he was suspended from school. His older brother ran away a couple of weeks ago because he didn't want to take the SAT and he knew his parents would be mad. The older sister was supposed to go to med school after graduating from college. Decided that 17 years of schooling was too much and didn't want any more! Is going to be a bum for a few years. Freaking the family out! <G>
My kids are happy. It's soo obvious. I just smile and wave my hand dismissively and say, "The proof is in the pudding, and I'm a patient cook." <g>
How old are your children? And when did they leave school?
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://liveandlearnconference.org
-----Original Message-----
From: leavingemeraldcity <jtmartin@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thu, 10 Nov 2005 19:22:05 -0000
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: Stories out there?
Hi Kelly;
When you pulled your son out, did you take an unschooling approach
from the start, or did you start with some more structured things and
gradually move toward unschooling? Did you have to work through fears
of "covering the basics" or having him fall behind others in skills?
From an intellectual level, I understand and wholeheartedly agree with
the unschooling philosophy. I have the Unschooling Handbook and have
read it through a few times over the years, as well as Gatto's
Underground History of American Education. Everything within me says a
big resounding YES to the idea of unschooling, but when it comes down
to it I have to deal with the fears that have been engrained in me
from all my years of schooling and then classroom teaching.
Everything around us demands measureable results, and going against
the grain is hard, especially as there is no unschooling group around
here to provide support. So, hearing how others have taken the plunge
and dealt with all those things would be reassuring. Do you have
support from your (extended) family?
Tamara
---
Yahoo! Groups Links
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 11/14/2005 6:28:49 PM Eastern Standard Time,
kbcdlovejo@... writes:
My kids are happy. It's soo obvious. I just smile and wave my hand
dismissively and say, "The proof is in the pudding, and I'm a patient cook." <g>
~~~~~~~~~~
I love that!
I am so grateful our families here are supportive. If not, they haven't said
a word otherwise. My mom is on-board the whole homeschooling thing (actually
wishes she had done it!) and is even "getting" the unschooling aspect. My
father may be a little more skeptical (he's an engineer and very structured)
about the unschooling, but not homeschooling. He and I had a few conversations
about public schooling, and he agreed with most of my views. He's loves the
kids and just absorbs them and their curiosity about "stuff". My brother, I
don't think really cares much about whether they go to school or not. He's 6
years younger than me, in the military and living in KY with his girlfriend and
her 11 year old son. He's stationed back in Iraq now, so my kids' education I
think is the least of his worries :o)
Bill's mom is the same way as my mom. Totally on-board the homeschooling
thing. She loves watching them live and learn and just interact with life. My
SIL and BIL are, I don't even know. They've got enough stuff to worry about.
They aren't bothered by us, and frankly, have no right to say anything.
As far as other extended family, everyone does the nod, "that's cool" and
moves on. Not much of an issue really. LOL...
I think I've had more "issues" with friends. Not close friends, but, people
we're friends with and it doesn't really matter what they think anyway. They
aren't involved in our daily lives enough to make it a problem.
Jenny
Unschooling in Greenfield, MA
Danny (12-1-99), Kelsey (11-1-01) and Evelyn (5-19-04)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as
that every child should be given the wish to learn. ~John Lubbock
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
kbcdlovejo@... writes:
My kids are happy. It's soo obvious. I just smile and wave my hand
dismissively and say, "The proof is in the pudding, and I'm a patient cook." <g>
~~~~~~~~~~
I love that!
I am so grateful our families here are supportive. If not, they haven't said
a word otherwise. My mom is on-board the whole homeschooling thing (actually
wishes she had done it!) and is even "getting" the unschooling aspect. My
father may be a little more skeptical (he's an engineer and very structured)
about the unschooling, but not homeschooling. He and I had a few conversations
about public schooling, and he agreed with most of my views. He's loves the
kids and just absorbs them and their curiosity about "stuff". My brother, I
don't think really cares much about whether they go to school or not. He's 6
years younger than me, in the military and living in KY with his girlfriend and
her 11 year old son. He's stationed back in Iraq now, so my kids' education I
think is the least of his worries :o)
Bill's mom is the same way as my mom. Totally on-board the homeschooling
thing. She loves watching them live and learn and just interact with life. My
SIL and BIL are, I don't even know. They've got enough stuff to worry about.
They aren't bothered by us, and frankly, have no right to say anything.
As far as other extended family, everyone does the nod, "that's cool" and
moves on. Not much of an issue really. LOL...
I think I've had more "issues" with friends. Not close friends, but, people
we're friends with and it doesn't really matter what they think anyway. They
aren't involved in our daily lives enough to make it a problem.
Jenny
Unschooling in Greenfield, MA
Danny (12-1-99), Kelsey (11-1-01) and Evelyn (5-19-04)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as
that every child should be given the wish to learn. ~John Lubbock
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]