Tools, books and computers

Its a pity they do not learn practical life skills in the schools would be so much easier for everyone if they did.  Things like budgeting, cooking, needlework, practical hands on skills like repairing things, gardening, preserving and learning to make the most of what comes to hand.  These life skills go in hand with academic skills one is practical the other shall we say "technical". 

Take me I am very lucky.  Not only did we have academics in the family people who studied and worked hard - so we had good role models in that they stuck at things even when things were not easy but we also had practical people too.  Me well I tend to be more practical than academic although I could do the academic thing when I was a lot younger and in fact utilised the local Library to help do my homework/study all in a quiet environment.  Sadly the beautiful old library in the village I lived in has now gone - even though we still actually need them.

We all have our own "tool boxes" and we add to them throughout our lives from each new experience even negative experiences they all help and shape us to become the person we are. We are in reality a total produce of what we have been exposed to and which influences our life path.  I was always taught you should always be open to new experiences as even if you were not particularly keen on the subject matter it would stretch you that bit more and give you another tool in the armoury to bring out as and when needed.  However what if you do not have the tool in the armoury - that is what is happening more and more today than it used to and yet you need these skills to get by and live. 

Many of us hate change because it challenges us in ways we do not really want to be challenged and shakes us all up and literally takes the rug from under our feet and makes us unsure of where we tread. That in me makes me nervous and unsure until I get my head around things.

Travel is a good one as it not only takes you to new places but the observer in us then absorbs and soaks in the whole caboodle i.e. new cultures, new foods, new ways to do things.  So why should our children not experience this or have access to learning materials.  You can take in some of it from books or by watching tv/the computer to "take you there" but in reality because we are like sponges we take in more peripheral information from actually being there and using all our five senses, sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.  They give us extra information so that we can make an informed decision about something.

Even though we have computers (or should I say quite a few of us do now) it does not mean to say that everyone has access to these and even if they do perhaps mum only has so much electric or gas to last the week/month and therefore there is not the provision to have the computer on as and when.  We are not then on an even keel with our peers as our situations also impact on us as well. Which is why we still need books. 

My father when I was very young paid out hundreds of pounds for a set of Caxton encylopaedias which were red vellum bound with gold blocking and beautiful photographic pages.  They were bought one at a time and were expensive but I and my brother learned from these books and benefited. There was also a set of full English Classic literature i.e Alice in Wonderland, Tom Sawyer, the Water Babies, Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, Alice through the looking glass, Heidi to accompany those books.

Yesterday I was in a charity shop and on the shelves were a set of Chambers Encylopaedias just standard paper but the whole set was just £10. Its funny how quickly things become devalued.  Books are a tactile thing a physical thing that is there but if the computer goes wrong you have lost the lot.  I know which I prefer but saying that you really need both.

When I was a youngster (too many moons ago) all children had access to the Library.  Nowadays everyone assumes that you have access to a computer.  Often because there is not much money coming into a household it is the books/computer learning thing that suffers most but it need not do so.  Its always worth checking out the charity shop for books especially for children.  Reading is a life skill and once learned it stays with you for life and to me it is one of the most important life skills as it opens you and your world up to oh so much more.  I am a compulsive reader and books are more my friends as they can keep you company and occupied and take you out of yourself when you are feeling low or are alone. Books then lead to imagination and creativity because you see how someone has done something and then have a go at it make it yourself and then put your own twist on things.

Books used to be valued.  I still value mine but I wonder what everyone else's take is on this.  Do you like me believe that books still have a very very strong place in our lives?

Would love to hear from you.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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