Andrew 2009-06-02

I believe that at every age we should listen and learn. I must tell you, the education system is a conditioning and brainwashing machine for the "routine of life." I know you are alrady aware of this. School gives you about 25% of the tools that you will need in the future. For instance, the ability to read and write is an essential part of thinking and speaking, which most people are required to do a limited amount of at work, some more than others. School alos teaches you to follow a set of rules and regulations though; a system if you will. Students are to follow the command chain within the school, and this starts with the teacher, and goes all the way up to the government. So you see, it's all been planned and manipulated since day one. However, all life is is a routine. Our thinking is closer than you believe, but we do of course have our disagreements on a variety of subjects. The same is true with most adults. Most people have an issue of some sort with the government; whether it be the judicial system, the education system, the political system, or the monetary system. Many people are no becoming more concerned about their privacy, and a greater need to express ourselves has developed. We are an interactive group of people with an amazing capacity for grasping concepts. However, the obstacles of life are far too great for most people to weather without stumbling. Employment and livelihood are at stake at present, and people have little time to and little resources to take action. It's kind of been designed that way anyways; people that have money fall into the system, and simply want more, while people that have less money also want more, so they too find themselves trying to attain a "good life." This constant pressure and stress causes us to continue a generally primitive way of thinking, and a generally primitive way of operating on a day to day basis.I know you don't know much about me, and I don't know much about you, so it is certainly difficult to grasp each other's views completely. However, I will tell you that I did not find pleasure in the education system in my later years participating in the juncture.However, I graduated from 8th grade, the end of elementary school where I live, after 10 years at the same school, at the top of my class. In my later years in elementary, or primary school, I was the chair of the student council, from grade six to eight in fact. I lived up to the curriculum, and grasped every single bit of it, which does add to my knowledge. Not only that, I've always been a leader, a thinker, a teacher, and a psychologist. I'm 20 years old, and have held more than 20 positions throughout various small businesses, sports organizations, and corporations. At present, I am working in the construction sector in carpentry (my trade for 3.5 years now). Quite honestly I am lucky to be working right now, as the recession has hit Canadian people very hard, particularly the auto sector, parts sector, and construction sector. Livelihoods have been lossed, and people are expressing very dim, negative views. I'd say that the same is true for the entire world. Right now is the time for people to start asking questions and wake up to the agenda that they have fallen for, but instead people are falling in the agenda, and getting trapped, as usual. We are bound by the limits that are imposed on us. Additionally, I've read a collection of more than 300 books, which is more than some people read in a lifetime. I'm not including school books or textbooks either. Once I complete my apprenticeship in carpentry at the end of the year, I will be entering University, with not only a loan-free education, but also with valuable hands on training and workplace skills. My goal is to enter between 2010 and 2011, and I do not see anything preventing me from obtaining a valuable post-secondary education. A high school diploma and trade certificate are no longer enough in this world. More is required. The work force has become a demanding field, and in order to succeed experience is an asset. I regret that I did not take certain courses seriously in high school, such as math and French. After nine years of taking French lessons for only 20-30 minutes per day, I took very little from it. I could not have a conversation in that language, nor could I understand what a French person was saying. I know only core French, which is the only French which is taught in school. What use is this to a white, english speaking, anglo-saxon, aryan, first-generation Canadian? My eldest brother is a decade older than I, and needless to say, I've grown up quicker than the average person. I'm not saying that I don't have more to learn, but what I am saying is that my blog is not a discovery for me, although many specifics are indeed new facts that I may be "re-entering" into my brain, that I've forgotten for the past. My blog is me expressing my views and my ideas on the world in the form of perspective, historical figures and facts, and simply issues we have at present. I thought that putting up my real age would add value to the words I speak, and people would be able to ascertain what a 20-year-old's views are from Toronto, Canada. This is what I've learned so far. I am intrigued by this planet and am intrigued by the people, animals, and habitats that surround us all. The world that I was born into is far different than the world today. Today's youth are growing up in a highly technological age from birth, which most of us had to evolve into slowly, myself included. I did not use the Internet until age 11 or 12, and when I did, it was still very under developed. There was no such thing as a blog, or Google, or YouTube. It was Yahoo and there was not nearly the amount of content that exists on the net today. It's an amazing evolution. The Internet can be a terrific learning and connecting tool, if used wisely. This is not my first website, and will likely not be my last. As long as the Internet exists, it will empower people to connect with others and connect with a better understanding of the world. But at the same time, it brings us closer to globalization. It's a win-lose situation really, but if we can win before we lose, it will be an even greater accomplishment. I'm hoping to create a greater understanding of the realities that face us today, and I hope you agree that it is necessary.Andrew