Many Factors Come Into Play For Solid Foundation

I grew up in Arkansas and got a very good education in a typical small Arkansas town. We had, in my mind, a good, solid school district and a good community for young people.

But it wasn’t just about the school; many other factors came together and in retrospect, I can see how they all fit together to contribute to my overall development growing up:

My parents. They provided a stable life at home, but also read to my younger brother and me. And like many parents of that time, they made sure we had a set of World Book Encyclopedias at home, as well as several other items to read. I don’t guess we needed the internet. For that matter, we didn’t have any idea what the internet was. But we thrived anyway, because the home I remember was a safe environment in which we could grow.

My grandparents. They taught me of the benefits and the hard work that went along with life on an Arkansas farm, an extremely valuable learning experience for anyone. They also provided a great deal of encouragement by being present at all of their grandchildren’s activities, from Little League to school events to church-related endeavors. And they taught, by their example, the importance of family.

The school library. Like most elementary school children, I had a librarian who read to us and helped cultivate an interest in books. At about the third or fourth grade, I remember going on a real reading binge and started reading a novel or a biography every single day of school. Granted, those books were written for ages 10-12, but I devoured them nonetheless. With a love for reading inside of me, I could handle anything that came my way in the academic world. And although I am done with my formal education, I don’t suppose I’ll ever be done with reading.

Newspapers. Our small town had a weekly newspaper with lots of info about local people and events, along with things going on in Arkansas culture and politics. In addition, my Dad usually read the Sunday Arkansas Gazette and I soon followed his example. I loved looking at the comics and the sports pages (Razorback football and St. Louis Cardinal baseball became very important to me from 1970 onward), and later I became interested in news throughout the paper. I know that today a person can get even more news from the internet than I ever got in the newspaper, but I view the decline of newspapers in society as a sad occurrence. Kids today rarely, if ever, pour over the pages of a newspaper on the living room floor and they are really missing something without that experience.

Particular teachers. Almost every one of us can name two or three teachers that had a great influence upon us and my life is no exception. I could name a few teachers from high school that not only made the learning interesting, but were also personally responsible for several points on my ACT exam.

Football. I was involved in athletics growing up and all of it was good for me, but being in a good high school football program was probably the best experience I ever had growing up. It helped solidify the virtues of hard work, discipline, persistence, and teamwork. At the time I didn’t look at it as something that was developing character; I just wanted to be a part of it. I never wanted to push my own children in to sports, but I’ve always said that if any child enjoys playing sports half as much as I enjoyed playing football, that they had better take part.

Good old-fashioned work. Mowing lawns, chopping cotton, pitching watermelons — all were ways for a young man to earn money in the area where I grew up. As I got a little older, I could do construction work in the family business. There is something extremely helpful about being involved in productive work, and it is crucial in the life of any young person. In addition, learning what it takes to earn

“For these realities in my

young life, I am deeply grateful. I can only hope that young people today have similar meaningful experiences.” money is a lesson with lifetime benefits.

Play time. Having some autonomy to do what I wanted at home or with friends around town also proved to be quite fruitful. Those times developed a sense of adventure and discovery, and allowed us to pursue some of our own interests. You might be amazed at what we as young men were able to learn pedaling bicycles around town. There was certainly some occasional mischief to be explored, but for the most part we were playing — and learning about things — as we went.

Family trips. I remember leaving Arkansas with my family and seeing such places as Lookout Mountain in Tennessee and Georgia; Galveston on the southern coast of Texas; and city life in St. Louis. Whether we went far away or went camping and boating in Arkansas on a weekend, the times were special. They also provided solid memories and experiences that helped facilitate the accumulation of further knowledge and learning.

Church. My brother and I were able to take part in Sunday school and Bible school from a very young age and basically “grew up” in church where we lived. Such times are obviously nourishing for the soul, but they also deepened our sense of community and enriched our overall learning experience in regular school on Monday through Friday.

For these realities in my young life, I am deeply grateful. I can only hope that young people today have similar meaningful experiences.

DAVID WILSON, EDD, OF SPRINGDALE, IS A WRITER, CONSULTANT AND PRESENTER, WHO GREW UP IN ARKANSAS BUT WORKED 27 YEARS IN EDUCATION IN MISSOURI. YOU MAY EMAIL HIM AT DWNOTES@HOTMAIL.COM.