I desperately wanted to leave school at 16 along with slightly more than two thirds of my classmates.
My parents would have none of it. I had to remain on the university track for another two years and then endure three years at the university whose track I was on. Then my obligation to my parents, who were paying for my education, would be finished.
Sadly at 16 my aspirations were in line with my more fortunate peers who were leaving. In my eyes their parents were much more understanding, although a couple had folks who did not believe in over educating a girl, I was too naive to be anything but jealous.
Along with my twelve lucky classmates I wanted to seek fame and fortune in America (I managed to achieve this later in life despite my parent’s objections). I wanted to backpack through the Middle East, to go to modeling school, even the vision of a frothy white marriage at 17, as one of my friends was planning on, seemed an attractive alternative.
My ambitions were far from the academic.
Instead I obeyed my absent parents for the next five years when they finally loosed their grip.
I was expected to better myself, I had opportunities reserved for the privileged few. I wasn’t to follow in their footsteps and leave school young. Like the poor starving children in Africa who were trotted forth when I was picky about my food, I was not to look a gift horse in the mouth when it came to an education..
I did not spend the next five years willingly at my studies. I tolerated them. I got through them. I bode my time.
I brushed the dust off my feet and left for America as soon as I could.
However, my education served me well. It was still the days when cultural literacy was cherished. I remained at my books long enough to be able to fit all the pieces of knowledge, absorbed from my teachers and extensive travel with my Diplomatic parents, together.
Consequently, because of this, I will never ask an American if he celebrates Christmas on the same day we do, and I know Guy Fawkes is not remembered on November 5th in Dallas. Just as my parents did not have a Thanksgiving dinner in November or take a day off on President’s Day, Americans don’t have a Boxing Day or a Spring Bank Holiday. We all celebrate Easter together though and remember our soldiers on Memorial Day.
Cultural literacy is a must if we want to make sense of our world and unfortunately today some of our young people are globally illiterate.
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
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