High school electives deserve some respect! Think back to your high school days and name one class you wish you had taken or maybe taken more seriously! Two classes that resonate and are so relevant today were my public speaking class and typing class! Who knew?! I bet there are a lot of you that can look back and wish you had taken that typing class! I remember those typewriters! Pecking away at the keys and learning the position of the letters. The little lever you had to push to reset so you could type on the next line. I can’t remember what you had to do when you made an error but let’s just say, there was no spell check. You had to stop get a dictionary and look it up! Then you had to use that little piece of paper to type back over the error (or whatever that little thing was). Those timed tests would cause so much anxiety! Trying to type within the allotted time frame was stressful! The mimeographed paper! Oh, my goodness! The old days of typing! Who could have imagined that an elective class would hold so much weight in today’s world?
The lesson most remembered in the public speaking class was what was called a non-regional accent. During those days, television reporters and personnel developed a non-regional accent. This meant that regardless of where the program was heard in the country, the viewers and listeners could clearly understand what was said. Fast forward to today, let’s just say it has come in handy as a radio and TV personality, not to mention voice over! Took a sewing class, finance class, and auto mechanics class where we learned how to change a tire, check the oil in the car and other basic functions. We won’t discuss the ability to count out change in your head. The cost is $9. 58 and you want to avoid the pennies, so you give the clerk $10.03! The cash register is down so your change has to be counted manually! Oh boy! It’s not the person’s fault behind the counter.
We have just become such an automatic society, that manual skills are going by the wayside. The electives taught the skills needed to function! Now don’t get me wrong, the English, Math, Science, and Social Studies were definitely significant! I mean, those were the courses that determined your college and university options. So, you graduated with a degree in some field, but you were also able to handle daily things that occur in life. Technology development has definitely been a wonderful thing but if the technology goes offline, can we function without it? Just a thought, as I type this reflection.
I am Paula G Voice! I am a sagacious independent lifestyle influencer. I am embracing my own journey and sharing experiences along the way. I am challenging dreamers to do the same by breathing life into their deferred dreams and living out the reality! It is never too late to embrace your journey and live your dreams! Visit Paula’s Blog at www.paulagvoice.com for the full journey.
Mindset Question:
What skills do you remember learning in your younger years, that you still use today?
Lesson Learned:
Technology sometimes goes on strike without warning. We need to be able to function without it.
Wisdom Challenge:
Learn a skill manually that you rely on technology for. Example multiplication in your head. Counting change in your head. It may be rare when you use it but oh boy, how glad you will be that you have that skill!