Mrs. Overstreet stressed this often to us: Your education is the one thing they can’t take away from you. I was in World History class at Sprayberry High School — I enjoyed the class although I couldn’t tell you one Pope from another. But to her credit, she did light a fire under me to learn more. She taught me that history rhymes. Look, I know I’ll never be the smartest person in the room but I’ll be the most curious. That’s one of the reasons I love interviewing people. Learning what makes them tick is a graduate-school class in excellence.
There has been some talk about getting rid of humanities classes. I guess the statewide elected official who is pushing it on the platform formerly known as Twitter is mimicking what is going on in West Virginia. But it seems to be a particularly foolish idea — especially considering what the arts means to Mississippi. But also, even if you are training to be an accountant or an engineer, some idea of history, language or the arts helps in this incredibly fast changing world we live in. Employers, the ones we are trying to lure to towns without hospitals, need employees who can think on their feet. Who understand context. And who can adapt.
I think about Robin Williams’ John Keating from the movie Dead Poet’s Society when I read about people who want to rid the world of “unnecessary humanities classes.”
- John Keating: We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, “O me! O life!… of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless… of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?” Answer. That you are here – that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?
Yes, the world needs plumbers and mechanics (I am living proof of that). But we need a curious population who understand the context of history as we stumble through these trying times. My dad, who chased his dream when he stopped being a traveling salesman and bought a car garage, always had either a wrench or a book in his hand. He is my hero and a reminder that: Knowledge is power ; Understanding context is king.