One of the things I enjoy most about writing is discovering afterwards what I’ve said. I treat the words the way I treat my horse. I give her loose reins as long as she’s taking me where I want to go, and we both enjoy the experience. Once in awhile I have to give a tug, sometimes a little kick, sometimes I backtrack to find a safer direction, and sometimes I have to hold on tight, fight for control, and take charge. (These are the rides I least enjoy, but quoting from words on one of my t-shirts: Riding -- when it’s good it’s great. When it’s bad, it’s still pretty good).

For some reason the words that came to my mind this morning as I thought about writing this newsletter, were words that have bothered me off and on for many years. They are: educated idiot. Obviously I believe not only in education but in higher education and, while I’ve never been called an “educated idiot” (at least to my face) I have heard others called this, and I’ve noticed consistently that the person doing the name calling has always been someone with limited formal education. Of course. This morning I decided it would be fun to find out what I have to say about the derogatory phrase that popped uninvited from my subconscious mind into my conscious awareness.

To begin with, let’s agree that education doesn’t always stem from heavy books or hallowed halls of impressive institutions. During a session with a client I’ve often used the suggestion, “You’ve learned from the best teacher of all -- your own experience.” The fact is we are all educated --some of us formally, others not; but the aspects of a formal education that I believe better prepare us for (if nothing else) the living of our life, is this: interaction with an authority figure. We learn to listen to and consider views that originate outside our own purview, to deal with the expectations of others, to learn from others’ accomplishments as well as errors, to follow instructions, to meet deadlines, to accept constructive criticism, and to meet external standards rather than simply satisfying ourselves. In my opinion, the greatest value found in formal education is that we learn to learn and, more importantly, to let our learning live and breathe in our own and the lives of others.. Short of this, graduates are simply reproductions of the proverbial answers found in the back of the book.

The question to ask yourself (regardless of the source of your education) is this: What are you doing with it? Are you using it as a springboard that catapults you into position to improve yourself and the world around you? “I know it, that’s good enough for me” is like sitting on a horse that is standing still. This goes against the nature of the animal. Horses are meant to move. Education is meant to be applied.

Personally I find the phrase educated idiot distasteful, but if there were such a thing it would be the person who sits on what they know as though posing for a photo. Life is 3-D! I hope you are letting your knowledge and your experience POP! Let it energize you, inspire you, move you! Treat it the way I treat my horse. I give her loose reins as long as she’s taking me where I want to go. Once in awhile I give a tug, sometimes a little kick, sometimes I backtrack to find a safer direction, and sometimes I have to hold on tight, fight for control, and take charge. (I would NEVER let her run away with me, and if she were ever to throw me, I hope I would learn from that experience.)

When my daughter was 12 she decided to spend her summer writing a book. I watched her fingers dance in delight across the keyboard and her face light up with glee. I said, “Are you having fun?” and she said, “Yes! I LOVE writing this book. I can hardly wait to see how it’s going to end!” When I began here with the haunting phrase “educated idiot” I had no idea where it would take me in my writing, and now I know. It took me for a ride that was fun for me and, I hope, helpful in one way or another to you. Remember: we all have something to learn from others, just as we all have something to teach. The more widely we expand our environment, the more we can touch and be touched by others.