Nov. 24, 2005 - Homeschooling
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
There are varied opinions on who this quote is of, but home-schooling is just one positive result in walking the road not taken. It has always been around, but the home education revival has in the last 30 years spread like wildfire.
Public school had become a freeway. It was time for a re-orientation of what education really meant. Families knew that something had to change, but a lot of them didn’t know how. But when home-schooling began to grow, it came as water to the thirsty Christian families who were looking for a better way.
I’m a result of that.
And because of that, home-schooling has always been a system I have full-heartedly supported, defended, and – of course – practiced. You ask me why.
The experience of being educated at home was timeless. Although none of us are doing anything spectacular like finishing high-school 3 years early, we have the privilege of enjoying one factor, ‘family’. We don’t go out to school and spend all day there, and then come back to homework. We finish our school and have the rest of the day to learn things not found in books – or in public school.
People say, “You have to face the real world at one time or another.” Unfortunately it’s said in the wrong way. We are growing up in the real world. We’re growing up knowing where our world is, and where the world is. We know the difference. I’ve had people tell me I’m sheltered. To a degree they’re right. To a degree they’re not. They’re right in that I am not washed, exposed, and treated by the elements of sin so prevalent in the world. They’re wrong in assuming I’m going to have a culture shock when I step out the door. Nothing surprises a home-schooler. We’ve been balanced and stabilized at home; we’re prepared to travel the Real-Life Rd. that’s ahead of us.
What if my parents hadn’t home-schooled us?
That’s a question I’ve thought of before. I know people who’ve been public schooled and have come out alright. In fact, that’s likely your case. But if I know myself well enough, my world-view would be entirely different. But I don’t want to dwell on the aspects of ‘if’. I simply want to take the opportunity to thank God for leading my parents to bring us (6 children) up outside of the city, worldly influence, television, and public school (all of which were things they had grown up with). I can only look back and say how thankful I am for the opportunity to have a family. As I look around today and see the number of families that are broken up, disunited, split, and unhappy, and I see the children who are suffering from the effects of this evil – and I look at our family and I see, simply spoken, a lot to be thankful for. If you haven’t been home-schooled, I’m not saying you’re life has been greatly detrimentally affected by it. But I do say that you have missed an experience.
I know that many of you reading (this was written for my email magazine with a very broad subscribership) have not been home-schooled and have grown up in the city, and have had a great family life. I don’t contend. When our parents place God and their family first in life, it may not result in a home education, but it’s resulted in things we’re glad we didn’t miss out on – because God’s way is the best way. In my case it was a home education, and that is something that has bonded family ties all over the world -- because of one thing, ‘home’. It has long been known that the home is building block of society; it has long been known that when home fails, society fails. America is seeing a revolution because ‘home’ is taking the priority in many more families’ lives.
One day, before my father was married, he was on a flight. When the flight attendant came around with the meals, the man sitting next to him refused his meal. During the course of later conversation, my someday-to-be-dad asked him why he didn’t eat. His response:
“I'm a Satanist and today is a high day in our religion. I’m fasting for the breakup of families.”
After asking a couple more questions, my father retreated into stunned silence. This man was a Satanist. His staggering answer stuck with my dad. Was he going to succumb to the efforts of Satan to break up families? Was his family going to fall into the same trap? Thank God it was not.
I know it’s almost a little dangerous to attribute where I am in life to the fact that I was home-schooled, but I want to focus for just a moment on an interesting aspect of every individual. It’s called attitude. I give myself the privilege of saying that home-schooling creates a very unique attitude in those who are products of it. We are different, but we’re better for it. That attitude is worth keeping.
With these thoughts in review, it’s quite easy to see that I fully intend on continuing the trend if the Lord should bless me with a family someday. The path has been now well trodden, my experience on it has been excellent, I have no regrets.
David D. Boskovic
© Copyright 2005, David Boskovic. [Published] — Request permission before re-publishing. Share freely, as long as name remains intact.
Comments
Nov. 25, 2005 - Untitled Comment
Posted by lindsey
yikes. that's scary!
Nov. 27, 2005 - Untitled Comment
Posted by spunkyjunior
That IS scary! btw-which of your blogs do you want me to link to?
Nov. 27, 2005 - Untitled Comment
Posted by David Boskovic
my new one Oneway Purpose
