I hesitate to generalize…but going to school in the 60’s and 70’s, I don’t feel that there were as many recognized education markers in place to determine if kids were getting it or not getting it. There are a lot of baby boomers out there who are very smart and have excelled in all fields…this detail which causes me to pause when lambasting the education system. I just know in my situation, I didn’t get it – I think I probably started missing out on the basics say about 5th grade. I also had no support at home for excelling in school other than the Sunday night spelling test practice and the absolute fear when report cards came out. I did not excel – I was average – this was not good enough for my mother – yet she took no steps to help me help myself. Knowing what I know now, I had a learning disability – never verbally recognized by the adults in my life – I just thought I was dumb. I know this now because I’ve learned that I have spatial issues and math going through my brain just does not compute. I can add, subtract, divide and I have my multiplication tables well synced in my brain…but percentages and decimal knowledge that I use now was self taught and algebra or anything more advanced does not exist. Pretty much the science, geography and history that I know now are also self taught because I have an incurable curiosity. I think kids are still falling through the cracks, obviously…but I’m not witness to it. There is a fine line between whether my kids excelled because they were smart, minus a learning disability or because they were taught in a good school system with good curriculum? God knows I didn’t help them much with their studies…because I didn’t know that I was supposed to help them…if I were to do it all over again, I would have broken that cycle. Just thoughts – I’m not sure what is more broken – the education system or parents who don’t have the time to enhance the learning curve.
I know, now, that I”m not dumb. Some of the skills I have can only be learned in life…and I have some inner drive to learn and experience as much as I possibly can.
I’m not dumb – I just took a different route to get here.
Until next time…..
Ninasusan 
I have learned we are all very much a like and we should treat each other that way. We all are smart about some things and dumb about some things and it’s really doesn’t matter what others think of you because they are thinking of their self 95% of their time, So have fun and don’t worry if you have done the right are wrong things in your life.
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I’m finally getting there!! thanks, Lew!
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Just wanted you to know how much I enjoy reading your blogs! You have a real talent for writing!! This last one really hit home with me since I went to country school until 5th grade and when I Came to town felt like I was always behind and never caught up! But we all have different talents and yours is writing and the lability to say it like it is! I love that! I know you are getting ready for surgery, just wanted to let you know We’re thinking of you! You have been blessed with a great family and many friends ! Take care and keep us posted!
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Thank you, Sue! But hat means a lot to me! I’m very optimistic about the surgery! Love to you and Bud!
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For many years, I felt insecure especially after I married into a book smart family who valued education above most everything else. Life is a huge learning curve, isn’t it?!?
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not everything taught at school appeals to us; in the high school (incidentally) algebra was one of my most favourite classes, yet my life-long interest has always been the literature (except my profession, which is my passion, but I do not see it as a course/education, rather a part of my life – even so I do not get everything about it). Formal education is about giving a broad knowledge to be useful in life, but certainly is not the only thing we can be and are interested in. As you also said, there are many lessons and skills learnt by just going thru life. We all are perfect as we are.
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This brings back a memory that makes me laugh all the time. Back in the elementary school days and our yearly standardized tests I did something somewhere that caused me to be bumped into an advanced math/algebra glass in 8th grade. After two weeks the teacher called me out into the hall and asked me if I had cheated on the standardized tests! I do not get Algebra.I have tried a few times as an adult but my brain just cannot make any sense out of it, at all.
It’s amazing how our brains work isn’t it?
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