Paul over at Chasing Dragons got me to thinking today with this question:

‘just thinking about businesses that have not been able to evolve into something else and wondering how that might apply to education. Any thoughts???

And, my answer in his comments just got longer and longer so I brought it over here:

. . . well, we are of the “old school” also. And, while all of the modern conveniences are really neat, cool, awesome (and all those other 60’s type words – for I am a dinosaur, too) I think we are losing a lot, too. Youngsters today (those under 40) have an “I want it NOW” mentality and that is what is fueling bigger, better, faster technology. Again – that is not all bad. But – look at what we are losing in order to gain all those things.

The era of my parents was post-Depression (youngsters say “wha??”).

My father never went past 6th grade because he needed to help feed his 12 brothers and sisters, his Ma and Da and a grandmother and great grandmother. (big Irish family) He worked with his hands and his back until the drink got him.

My mother was educated – unusual for women in those days, perhaps, she graduated from a Christian college/seminary. And then she met dad, had children, and broke body and soul taking care of us by working in a hospital laundry.

sorry – I digress.

Hubby took printing classes in high school through a technology program and learned a trade because he was told he would not make it in college. He worked for others until we moved to Alaska in 78 and we bought our own shop – complete with photo-typesetter, Paul, although there was still ONE hot lead setter in the area at the time.

We raised our girls with no insurance and low take-home with that shop. Sold it in October – because everybody wants bigger, better, faster work. Never mind that copy stuff washes away in the rain – fades – etc. Give it to me now.

My point, I guess – is that while education is great – families can make it without. While technology is wonderful – what happens in that far distant (hopefully) future when it all goes down to that big virus in the sky and we have lost all of our non-technical skills?

Stop laughing, younguns, it could happen.

We need to somehow keep our physical/technical skills alive at the same time that we advance menta/technical skills.

Does that make any sense to anyone but me at this early hour on a Saturday morning?