An Awareness through Chaos :: Free Essays Online

An Awareness through Chaos Through careful observation the past can be drawn into proper perspective when compared to the present. By looking back at a series of events that I experienced, I see them in a complete different light than when I actually experienced them. Visions are much clearer when you are able to take a step back to view the entire picture. That is what I am now doing in my life. My education has been my main way of life for the last 14 years or so. Even though we are constantly learning and will for our lifetimes, our childhood education has a big impact on our development into mature beings. Each segment of our education process; elementary school, junior high, etc., is built on each other, building progressive knowledge, helping us forge our way into an abyss of desired wisdom. Throughout those years as I experienced my education, my vision of its purpose and meaning was distorted. I viewed the entire process of learning as one required of us by the government and our parents. I never cared to know the real reasoning. I never saw the importance of knowledge, nor the significance of the preparation for life to come in the "real world". I can remember a day in 8th grade mathematics, when my teacher paused for a brief moment during his sweatening lecture. He turned to the class and posed for us this question, "Why are we here? " Everyone immediately looked at each other, puzzled, not sure what he was asking. He elaborated, " Why are we learning mathematics? " Glancing around the room again, we finally replied, "We have no idea". We all laughed and the teacher turned back to the chalkboard. There, was an example of how as young students we never realized the importance of mathematics, nor any of our other classes. Where did our meaning of education lie? Yet among the clouds of ignorance during my high school days, there was a time that a powerful beacon shown on my life and illuminated the meaning of my education. This sudden awareness occurred when I switched schools from junior to senior high school. Before the beginning of tenth grade my family lived on Long Island. My father was layed off from his job, and we were forced to move in with my Grandmother in upstate New York due to financial circumstances.