Meander the Unschooling Way

There are two routes to our local town. The first one is the efficient way. Once we’ve left the road that leads out of our village, we drive along the highway, through multiple sets of traffic lights before we arrive in town.

The other route is the meandering one, the one that winds its way through bush and paddocks, round bends, and up hills and down.

If I’m not in a hurry, I like to avoid the traffic and go the back way, the slower way. I drive past munching cows, and lean cyclists treading pedals up the hills, and dams brimming with recent rain. And on the flatter stretches of the road, I let my mind wander: I’m running rhythmically, effortlessly, on the edges of the tarmac, inhaling the wattle-scented air.

The other day, I was thinking about the different methods of learning. Perhaps there’s a direct way, involving an efficient consumption of facts and figures, as we work towards a particular goal. Then there’s the meandering path with side roads to explore, as we ponder and imagine and question. We can crawl up and roll down hills, not worrying about time and where we might end up.

Sometimes as I’m driving the back way to town, a kangaroo or two might bound over a paddock fence and onto the road, and with my heart beating fast, I experience an unforgettable closeup thrilling, dangerous moment of unexpected awe and beauty.

That’s the advantage of the meandering route: there’s an opportunity for adventurous and unexpected things to happen. There’s time for our minds and hearts and souls to engage with whatever comes our way.

Perhaps you’d like to watch the vlog version of this post? I meander my way through a few stories and make a few suggestions…

Photos

Andy is meandering through our local bush with our dogs, Nora and Quinn.

So, do you take the meandering way when you learn? Do you sometimes take the back road to town? And have you ever had any unexpected adventures, any awe-filled moments, because you chose not to travel the direct route?