Skip to main content

An alternative Triviuum

The classical (and Medieval) learning methodology of Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric is still sound (not that I know it well enough to comment on it competently) but I'd like to offer a scaled-down version that I think can be worked in into anyone's life--child or not.  I propose that possessing a love of reading, an active imagination, and a love for and time spent outdoors will aid any student in any endeavor.
It isn't enough to read, because the majority of Americans can do so.  The trouble is that skill is not exercised enough, is not cultivated, is not turned into a tawdry love affair.  So you can read--BFD!  The more important question is: Do You?
Reading and reading regularly (of a variety of books, by the way) leads into and is supported by my next necessity: imagination.  This is a quality that everyone possesses, unlike literacy, but too many have one stunted by TV.  Now, TV in small quantities (how much is small?  Good question) will not stunt an imagination--it may even aid it in say, picturing Rome, or the African Veldt, a crowded street in Beijing, etc.  Any place that one doesn't have access to, TV can aid in the apprehension of it.  Beyond that, the imagination should be nourished by stories (the book kind) and free play.  An active imagination assists problem solving, diplomacy, empathy, innovation, or simply a cure for the ever present 21st Century ennui.
Lastly, spending time outdoors observing and experiencing the natural world is supported by and supports reading and the imagination.  Fresh air, unstructured play, observing natural processes and plants and animals connects us to the earth in unquantifiable ways.  Do you want to instill wonder?  Go play in a tidal pool or a pond.  Would you like to develop your imagination?  Read about the original inhabitants of your area, visit places they lived, and reconstruct their lives in your mind while taking in the view of the same rocks and maybe even the same trees that they saw.
If we could have children--and adults--practice these three, we'd be happier, spend less on stuff, and perhaps solve some of our more persistent problems.

Comments

maybe said…
I'm appreciate your writing skill.Please keep on working hard.^^
Neolon Light said…
I have really enjoyed this blog. Keep up the good work.

Popular posts from this blog

Another Publishing Triumph 3.23

 This is the third time I've been published in Jesus the Imagination . It is, however, the first time a poem of mine has been published with this journal. I haven't finished reading my copy, but so far there have been some excellent essays. Get yourself a copy today!

Another Publishing Triumph!

So, the first of four poems has dropped. Point your critical browser to this URL for lots of good stuff at Ekstasis :  https://www.ekstasismagazine.com/poetry/2023/bird-is-the-word Constructive criticism welcome!

What I Read: 2023 Edition

  I know I failed to post this last year for what I read in 2022. So, here is what I read this past year. As always, these are listed in the order of reading and not any kind of ranking. The Shadow Lamp * Stephen R. Lawhead Book four in the Bright Empires series, continues with many of the same characters and a few new ones. The mystery of the Skin Map underscore a threat to the entire universe. The story is a bit pulpy and not Lawhead’s best (I’m speaking of the series as a whole), but still an enjoyable read for fans of Sci-fi and to a lesser extent, fantasy. Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in your Yard * Douglas W. Tallamy This continues his ideas expressed in Bringing Nature Home . Essentially, if you want to “save the planet” (a phrase full of hubris) start with your yard and your neighborhood. If you’ve read about this stuff before, you won’t find any new insights, but it bears repeating. This is as good as any place to start for backyard ecology.