Today, close to noon, I found myself dozing off over my computer. I’ve been known to do that in the evening, a signal that I should take a little nap—or else give it up and go to sleep. But in the middle of the day? I figured out what it was. All those loose threads that have haunted me all week have tied themselves off into neat little knots—my worry over arrangements for Christmas Eve guests, the lost check for a co-pay, even my iStock dilemma is nicely solved. And the plumber was here this morning, quickly fixed the leak with the tiniest of new washers, and it didn’t cost nearly as much as I had feared. The gods are smiling on me, and I’m grateful.
I toughed it out until about
one-thirty and then slept a solid two hours. It must be all the talk Jordan and
I have done about food and menus and grocery lists, but I dreamt I was eating
the most sumptuous, huge meal—lamb chops and salads and pate, all the things I
love. I woke up full.
So, I’m feeling fairly ready
for Christmas. And I’m feeling optimistic about the national scene, ever since the
Colorado Supreme Court declared trump ineligible to be on the ballot. But
higher education is on my mind tonight. I’ve read several articles that
question the value of a college education. Some point out that the importance of
having skilled craftsmen—plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc.—is overlooked,
and young people should be encouraged to consider trade schools. I’m all for
that. College is not for everyone, and we need those skilled people. Especially
today when I’m so grateful for the plumber, who by the by, had an apprentice
with him. Made me curious about how plumbers are educated—by apprenticeship,
classes, or both?
But an article this morning
suggested that employers are dissatisfied with the quality of college graduates
these days and perhaps a college degree is not worth the high cost, since it
can throw graduates and their families into a long downward spiral of debt.
Some of the stories of people still paying in their sixties are horrifying. We’ve
seen President Biden try to release families from that burden so that they can
be productive members of society, rather than held back by financial distress.
But that has met conservative opposition.
It’s a given that Republicans want
to dumb down America, because an uneducated populace is easier to manage, to
persuade with propaganda and distortion. We see it in Texas particularly in the
move to approve school vouchers, and thereby weaken public education, which has
failed, so far—praise be! We see it nationally in restrictions on teachers and
what they can teach, particularly what they can say about history. They are
often required to teach our history as seen through rose-colored glasses. And
we see it in book banning.
Now we’re seeing a move to
question college education. I wonder if this questioning of higher education is
not part of that whole campaign. Granted, some college costs are exorbitant
these days, but college is where people learn critical thinking. It’s not so
much that college prepares you for a career—really, how many of us have a
career related to our college major? But it’s that college classes teach you to
think. An educated populace, especially one that knows history, is not as
likely to fall for the blandishments of a demagogue.
Just a random thought for
Christmas week when my mind should be on the meaning of Christmas, the why and
wherefore of how we celebrate, the blessing of families gathering, and the food
which binds us in thankfulness and companionship.
It’s not late, but I can feel
sleepiness creeping up on me again, so I’ll sign off. Tomorrow, I think ‘ll
blog about black-eyed peas, a much more seasonal topic.
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