My Educational Vehicle

There are many different kinds of vehicles—cars, trucks, and vans; bicycles and motorcycles; and boats, planes, and trains. Each vehicle also has a different purpose. Some are just for transportation while others are more for enjoyment. Some vehicles are fast, others are slow. Some vehicles provide access to places you would otherwise not be able to get to. Similar to the various types, speeds and purposes of vehicles, my educational journey has had a variety of methods and destinations.

My favorite type of vehicle is one I don’t have to drive. I’d rather go along for the ride than be the driver. My high school education was much the same. I was extremely passive about my learning and did the bare minimum on the assignments just to check the box. I’d show up to class and do the work, but I don’t remember putting forth much effort. I also didn’t have much of an opinion about education. I was easily swayed and actually chose my college major based on the desires of my current boyfriend. 

My next vehicle didn’t come until after college and marriage and kids. My husband and I decided to homeschool.  It was now time for me to apply some of my own effort. I compare this time to a bicycle. In order to move forward on a bike, you have to pedal. No effort means no movement. A big chunk of my education at this time was studying what my kids were interested in and learning the best ways to teach them and how to provide a good learning environment. I worked hard to find time to read and study and discuss. A bike also moves a lot slower than a car. My education at this time came more slowly because I had other things vying for my time. But I kept working and my bike continued moving forward. 

Eventually, I realized my bike would not be able to take me where I wanted to go. I needed a different vehicle: a plane.  A plane can get you where you can’t get on your own. I decided that it was time for me to get a mentor. I knew that a mentor would help me get to where I needed to go in my educational journey. My mentors guided me to the books I should read, helped me discover my mission, and pushed me to do hard things. 

My current vehicle is a minivan. It’s a mom car and my education right now is a mom education. I learn in the gaps of “momming”—between driving my kids to their activities (or while because of the blessing of audio books), while fixing dinner, or after the kids go to bed. I take my kids with me on my educational journey, just like I take them with me in my minivan to different places. I share what I learn with them. We read and discuss books together. I help them see the value of learning by being an example to them. 

I’ve been on quite a journey with my education on a variety of vehicles. I started in the passenger seat, depending on others to get me places, and ended as the driver of my own education with mentors to guide and direct me. Each new type of transportation built upon the one before it. Each had their own purpose and accomplished their own goal. As I upgraded each vehicle, I also upgraded my education and in turn bettered myself and those around me.