You know, until I got in my thirties I thought college was the only way I was going to be able to have a meaningful life. But once I started reading more, it woke me up to the possibilities that are out there, that don’t require a college education.
What a lot of people don’t understand is, college isn’t for everyone. Just because you saw that as a building block in your path to success, doesn’t mean it’s something everyone needs or has to do in order to become successful. Growing up that is what you have constantly drilled in your head. It gets to the point of you feeling college is your only option. For me, that’s a little premature to believe a person’s only way to make it in this world is going to college. That simply isn’t true. There are so many people who have made very good lives for themselves without the aid of a college degree. Examples: Beyoncé, Jay-z, Oprah, Bill Gates and the list goes on. As you see, there are a plethora of opportunities out there. Learning to be open-minded about the path less traveled helps in your quest to make it in this world, doing exactly what it is you want to do.
Keep in mind that college isn’t the only place you’re able to gain valuable information. Knowledge is all around you. Just learn to be more observant. I remember about a year ago my mother told me I became smarter outside of school than I ever was in school. You know why? I have the opportunity to choose what I want to learn. For me, that’s about the people who look most like me and the world around me.
I’ve realized schools don’t teach children what they need to know. They teach them what they want them to know. Well in my case anyway. I’ve come to realize children of color are learning a history that doesn’t serve them. But serves the ones that have ruled over them for so many years. In putting forth an agenda they have left children with indigenous ancestry out, because they have not had much chance to learn and be uplifted by the many contributions made by people who look like them. Things are beginning to change now. But when I was growing up there wasn’t much positive talk about what natives contributed to this country. Not unless you went to a school that was predominantly native. Only then were you taught about some of the history of your people. Even then it had somewhat of a negative undertone. For example: Harriet Tubman- Freer of many, ex-slave. Malcolm X- Racist, violent, human rights activist, and later was assassinated. Martin Luther King Jr.- Minister, philanthropist, sparked change that he wanted to be apart of, later was assassinated.
You can learn a lot from their triumphs. But one thing I gathered from this was their triumphs lead to their deaths. They were very strong in the ways they stirred the pot. They did not let fear overpower the drive to change their circumstance. That type of will is something to be admired. But even though things have changed to be a lot more tolerable, doesn’t mean that it should stop here. Things are still not where they should be when it comes to equality. Power is still something that a particular group has over almost all nations and that’s not how it’s supposed to be. Power is something that needs to be divided equally amongst all races of people, so no one is left to feel or be treated as less than.
In conclusion, everyone learns differently. People may find an organized institution learning style works for them, but isn’t the answer for everyone. Do what you believe is right for you and your learning style. Live with yourself in mind. Never live to please the next person, because you’ll never truly be happy if you aren’t capable of making you happy first. Always remember that just because a person did not go to college, doesn’t make them any less smarter than you. The only difference is a piece of paper that lets others know you attended additional schooling other than grade school.
Live And Let Live.
Shads Short Stories 