Getting Edumacated

This last week I crossed a major goal off my ROW80 list. I finished my degree. I am now Hospitality Management graduate, with a 4.0 g.p.a. to boot.  It’s such a relief to have that under my belt, but it also made me think.

Thinking about our characters and their education, could their level of education have an impact? Yes, it could.

We gain more than just knowledge on a certain subject from our education. In our early education, we learn the basics reading, writing, and arithmetic. We join clubs or get involved in sports or music programs. All those things shape who we are from elementary school through higher education.

Right now, I’m working on a historic western. Ben was a cattleman before he became a Civil War officer. He didn’t have a formal education so how did he learn to read and write. How far did his education go? Did learning really impact his life for the better or not make much difference at all?

Education is something we take for granted today I believe. Public education is available to everyone now, in the days when my character lived education was a privilege. Most often schooling was done at home when it was available. Even then, for some education was minimal.

People could read or write but going to a university or higher learning was out of reach. Either by their location or most often by means of income, even in those days college was an expense. It was more common to find a person to learn under as an apprenticeship.

Tradesmen were most often apprenticed but so were attorneys, doctors, nurses, accountants and others. Today they couldn’t get a position unless they had the training of a degree and internship. These men and sometimes women learned their jobs by working with experienced mentors. Sometimes those mentors sponsored their higher education.

Today anyone can open a book or go to a school and learn something. There are grants and sponsorships that offer us choices that Ben and his family don’t have in 1864. Aren’t you glad for modern times?

I certainly am, a full degree offers more opportunities to better my life and my family’s It makes me a better writer by broadening my base of knowledge as well. I’m thankful for my Sis Rose, for encouraging me to jump in and do it and I’m really thankful for no more homework :D tee hee.

So my goals for this week are to hunker down harder on Ben and his exploits in the wild west, publish 2 articles and 2 blog posts, and finally load the car up with the boxes of clutter that have been waiting for exile from my house and get them to the Goodwill.

How has education influenced or impacted your life? Have you made any big accomplishments on your goal list for this quarter?

ROW80 Round of Words in 80 Days is a challenge that understands life can interfere with our writing life and goals. This flexable format gives you the opportunity to adjust your goals on a weekly basis with a wonderful encouraging group of people so you can accomplish your dreams. Join us for the new quarter starting October 7th. for more info go here: ROW80