The Real Education

What comes to mind when you hear the word, EDUCATION? Do you cringe, and the hairs on your arms stand up? Boring teachers, and books that never end sound familiar? Well education isn't just the standard in-school learning. Education takes many different forms: there is the traditional book smarts, street knowledge, and knowledge that is geared towards a trade like plumbing. The problem today is that everybody feels the obligation to get "education" in college, which is not the only avenue you can take; there are a series of other streets and roads to take you to the driveway of success. Since when was education based sorely on school. In years before, just hard work and learning a trade can make you money. You see education is often misperceived, it is thought that in order to make a "little green" in your life, years of studying books is necessary ,however, there have been many people who haven't continued education that have been successes. John Macaroni is the epitome of hard work. This man graduated high school with a c-average but he still managed to pick up machine tool as a trade and he is now owner of Macaroni Tooling in Hartford, CT. He found other options of education. Our country was founded on trades. Trades today are really starting to be a lost art because people believe that a job doing plumbing is for low lives. Everybody wants to be the successful lawyer, or the doctor who saves everybody lives! People need to strongly consider following another road of education. Just as a trade is another venue of education, so is, street knowledge commonly known as street smarts. Street smarts are an acquired knowledge. It's not a trait that you are born with. It comes with experience. Possessing this type of education becomes and extreme advantage over many people. Knowing what people like, what people complain about, how to talk to people, are all positive attributes to have. Street smarts can also protect you in conditions that you not used to. For example, if you have to pick up a family member at the train station, in a crime polluted city. You may not have the knowledge to make sure nothing valuable in your car is visible or to ensure not to park in a dark, open area. Many people that have the traditional book smarts don't have street smarts. How about the story of Mickey Valentine? Born into a blue-collar family, Mickey learned throughout his child life hard work and knowing people will take you a long way. So Mickey followed his father and mother's wise words and put them to use. Mickey while walking home from school one day, noticed someone following him. Mickey then made sure he had stayed in a lighted area, and not to show any remote signs of fear. The idiotic stalker followed Mickey right to the police station, where the police searched him and found a 9mm gun, and drug paraphernalia on him. Now that's street smarts, and an example of a unique difference between book smarts. Mickey then became a city idol and 10 years later became a cop in his hometown. The widely common book smarts can be a very useful tool in acquiring education. However, not all people are cut out to be in school or finish mountains of homework. Education that is derived from school is manicured according to a profession such as a doctor or teacher. This type education fits the definition given by dictionary.com, "the act of acquiring skills for a profession." This singles out the only profession and does not include all the blue-collar jobs. In attempt to defend and revive all other forms of education, this re-vamped definition gives a true depiction of what education is: education is the obtaining of certain skills, and knowledge through schooling or everyday life that will become the central tools for pursuing professions, trades, or goals. Yes, we all know school is increasingly becoming more vital to success today but schooling doesn't sum up education. We meets comply to all changes society demands; however, the acquisition of education will forever be needed. So we must keep in mind that there plenty of roads and alley ways as you try to find EDUCATION.