I’d like to welcome Jay Hvidsten to my blog. Thank you, Jay, for this post!
In the 1970’s, British comedy group Monty Python released an entire movie compiled of seemingly unrelated skits. The tagline as well as the title was “And Now For Something Completely Different”. Looking back over the years and miles between our different seasons of life, this title seemed an appropriate statement at many points of starting something new.
A departure from the familiar often is the first step toward meaningful change. But knowing that, why do many find it difficult to take that first step? Is it some invisible “force”? Some type of peer pressure, put on us by society at large or even our close family or friends? I will be exploring this idea in a later post but for now, we need to understand where we are desiring to go before we get to the challenges of getting there.
Change
Change. Some love it, some hate it, for most it is inevitable and something you just have to “deal with”. While educating our children is a major focus at this stage of the game, we as parents are as much in process of our own education, growth and maturing process. Like watching people enter a swimming pool, some ease their way in slowly while others jump right in with apparently no reservations. Whichever type you may consider yourself, there is something to be learned not only about a given subject, but also yourself, and life itself as you enter into something “Completely Different”.
“But that would be too much work”, “But that would never work”, “Don’t go overboard”, or “There you go again”, may be some of the responses you get from others or even in your own thoughts as you consider a “Completely Different” idea. Maybe it’s a restructuring of how you earn a living, who works, and who stays home. Maybe it’s working a “regular” schedule and educating your children in the evenings and weekends. Maybe it’s embracing education as a whole in a new way with interest led learning or “unschooling”. Here are some things I have learned personally through past and current circumstances.
Undoubtedly, the greatest change for us as a family was selling nearly everything we own and leaving the place where we had lived nearly our entire lives to move to the opposite end of the country. I remember one man at our auction sale asking where we were going and other basic questions. “So, you got a job lined up over there?” he asked. “Nope,” I replied in simple confidence. My response left him floored and almost speechless as he sputtered and struggled to comprehend how anyone would do such a thing, much less someone from a well established farm and heir to a multi million dollar operation. It didn’t matter, I was following a different set of priorities. Though my Dad didn’t truly understand at the time and it was hard for them to see us go, I was following his advice. I still remember the moment as I looked at him in the driver’s seat as I sat as the passenger heading down the road. “One thing I regret is not taking more risks,” he said. Though I don’t remember him providing specific situations, he told me of some opportunities to expand the farm and rent more land which he wished he had tried. I didn’t want to make that mistake. Although we had looked at some houses a couple hours away, we decided to go across the country taking the bigger risk.
Four Helpful Things to Remember
Oftentimes, there is a crucible you must go through as you make a bigger change. Some things will go better than you thought, and others will be more difficult. You just need to keep going. Here are some things to remember which will help you keep going:
- The birthing process is difficult for both mother and baby, but the results are amazing. My old chiropractor used to say “The most traumatic thing that happens to most people is being born.” Think about it, you are forcibly expelled from your comfortable environment where all your needs are met for you, suddenly you are pushed, pulled, squeezed through an exit which seems nearly impossible to fit. Once out, the cord is cut and now you must breathe for yourself and take in your nutrients in a new way which requires effort. For the mother, the work is not over, it’s just the beginning. As you go through the process of birthing something new, keep in mind that though there will be work and difficulty, but the end result will be amazing.
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Failure is a part of learning, an essential part. Fear of failure is one of the biggest hindrances in society at large. This great new adventure may end up a failure, but you can guarantee you will learn something no matter how it goes. You will have learned, grown, and come out with experiences that will remain with you. Knowing that, would you still call it a failure? If it doesn’t work out, picking up the pieces and starting again may not be as difficult as you imagine.
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There will be course corrections. If you have ever watched a time lapse video of a ship traversing the ocean or a plane over a long flight, you will notice many frequent course corrections to stay on track. You may not feel these corrections as a passenger but when the film is sped up, it seems frequent and dramatic. Remember to frequently check your heading. Are you still heading for the goal? Circumstances of life can cause you to drift off course slightly, but just make a correction and get on track again. We have tried many homeschool books, methods and systems, and have made many corrections. We are now returning to the goal of sending out our children as loving, productive, free thinking people who will impact the world in a positive way.
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Many times, the biggest changes produce the biggest results. Many militaries throughout the world first start with a very intensive training period. In the US, it is generally referred to as “Basic Training”. You are stripped of your unique identity down to your clothing, haircut, glasses etc and everyone is on a very rigorous physical and mental training schedule. People enter as individuals, and finish as soldiers, From there, a baseline has been established on what a soldier is and they then move on into specific fields of expertise. A “Completely Different” learning style may just be the thing that establishes the baseline and puts you and your children on the path to excelling as an individual in a specific area.
An Offer of Help
Whether you take the plunge all at once, or ease into something new, the choice is yours. Know this, there are many others out there who may be farther down the road and can lend a hand or just an ear as you talk it through. We are pleased and blessed to have made so many contacts all over the world. We encourage your questions and comments, we would be glad to help.
We are also in the process of developing coaching services focused on a holistic approach to life health and spirituality from a Christian perspective. Step out in faith and shape the future.
Instagram and Facebook
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Photos
The featured photo is by Nick Fewings, Unsplash. I think his description of his image goes well with Jay’s post:
So, what do you think?
Does change make you feel uncomfortable? Perhaps a fear of failing is holding you back from unschooling? Or have you already taken the completely different road? If you have, why not share your story?
