[email protected]

I also really enjoyed that article in Growing Without Schooling (Nov/Dec
99) about growing without education. And tied in with that the recent
posts here on work ethic etc. These seem to speak to my heart, but when
I step back I see that they are quite radical ideas in comparison with
the mainstream of our culture. Yet there are movements in this
direction, such as simplifying, entrepreneurship, and even thrifty living
(buying used, living without credit). So I think there are many people
who are searching for a different way, but are not sure how or are afraid
to go for it.

Unschooling and unjobbing, in a sense, are about deciding how to spend
our lives NOW. Like many, I've spent most of my life "living in the
future" - after I get out of high school, after I finish college, when
the weekend comes, when I have the money, when I retire - then I can
________ (fill in the blank yourself). Unschooling gives a family the
opportunity to spend each day doing what seems to be the most important
thing - for that day. In many ways I feel that excitement of a young
person just discovering the world. I am grateful to have folks like you
to discuss these ideas with!
Mary Ellen
Neglect Not The Gift That Is In Thee

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In a message dated 11/8/99 5:50:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, megates@...
writes:

<< I also really enjoyed that article in Growing Without Schooling (Nov/Dec
99) about growing without education. >>

Also in this issue is a write up of our just opened Resourc Center, thanks to
a wonderful gal, Belinda Augustis. We are thrilled to have a place to get
together.

Laura

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/8/99 5:50:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, megates@...
writes:

<< In many ways I feel that excitement of a young
person just discovering the world. I am grateful to have folks like you
to discuss these ideas with! >>

I do too! I am enjoying the discussion on this list. It helps to give words
and form to my ideas. Thanks all!

Laura

The O'Donnells

At 02:42 PM 11/8/99 -0800, you wrote:
>Unschooling and unjobbing, in a sense, are about deciding how to spend
>our lives NOW. Like many, I've spent most of my life "living in the
>future" - after I get out of high school, after I finish college, when
>the weekend comes, when I have the money, when I retire - then I can
>________ (fill in the blank yourself). Unschooling gives a family the
>opportunity to spend each day doing what seems to be the most important
>thing - for that day. In many ways I feel that excitement of a young
>person just discovering the world. I am grateful to have folks like you
>to discuss these ideas with!
>Mary Ellen
>Neglect Not The Gift That Is In Thee

This is one of the things that keeps me interested in unschooling over
school at home approaches - I feel this excitement and I value the
important thing of the day. I'm tired of living for tomorrow while today
slips away. We have no guarantees of tomorrow anyway.




In His Service,

Laraine
praxis@...
Subscribe to Our Prairie Primer Today Community at:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/PrairiePrimerToday

Lisa Bugg

> I also really enjoyed that article in Growing Without Schooling (Nov/Dec
> 99) about growing without education. And tied in with that the recent
> posts here on work ethic etc. These seem to speak to my heart, but when
> I step back I see that they are quite radical ideas in comparison with
> the mainstream of our culture. Yet there are movements in this
> direction, such as simplifying, entrepreneurship, and even thrifty living
> (buying used, living without credit). So I think there are many people
> who are searching for a different way, but are not sure how or are afraid
> to go for it.

I agree with you 100%. Most everyone I know is looking for some sort of
deeper connection and wondering how to get there. It's hard too, when you
are surrounded by people who don't have a clue and don't want to change, who
fear most everything.

We're working hard at shedding and simplifying. Even my chidren are in a
clean out the closet mode. Wonder if it's just winter coming on?

Lisa

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In a message dated 11/9/99 6:11:42 PM Eastern Standard Time,
LisaBugg@... writes:

<< We're working hard at shedding and simplifying. Even my chidren are in a
clean out the closet mode. Wonder if it's just winter coming on? >>

I am too, my house is so full of stuff I can't stand it anymore.

Laura

Thomas and Nanci Kuykendall

>
>I am too, my house is so full of stuff I can't stand it anymore.
>
>Laura


I've been this way all of my life. I can't stand clutter. Maybe that is
why I was able to find my own way to unschooling naturally as a teenager,
despite so much opposition and conditioning. (Of course I did not know I
was Unschooling, I just thought I was being a bad kid and a failure, as
usual.) I used to periodically "clean out" my bedroom when I was still
living with my parents, and since I was not allowed to throw things out I
would make a pile of "useless" and redundant items in the hallway for my
mother to throw out or keep as she wanted. Once, I even put my closet door
in the hallway pile, as it was getting in my way, and then I saved space in
my bedroom by putting my turntable and records in the closet and running
the speaker wire out into the room.

I also was in the habit of giving things away to friends who made comments
admiring them. Everything from bric-a-brac, to my clothes, to a pillow off
my bed once! They were all items I did not need, and they did not have an
emotional signifigance for me. I also still will give gifts (Birthday,
holidays) to people from my own pool of redundant miscelaneous. However,
these days I do not have nearly as much miscelaneous items to give away.
My parents, particularly my mother, showed their affection by giving me
gifts. Some of the things I could not get rid of fast enough, as they
represented times when even they, in their closed little short sighted
world, could see that they should have been there for me or had pushed me
into performing something that was extremely damaging for me. So they
would give me a gift, and call it good.

Nanci K. in Idaho