30 May, 2016

Still teaching. Go me. I have been working through a particular thought these last few weeks. It constantly niggles at me that NZ society has become somewhat obsessed with ‘getting a job’. Maybe it goes wider than this little country but this is where my focus is. It made me wonder why, if we are so excited about everyone having a job, we continue to bother with education and why we don’t just focus on training. Anyone not into academic training could move towards any apprenticeship or intern schemes that are around or, failing that, into military training. The focus on jobs seems limiting and, I think, most of us know that a job is just a means to an end. Meaningful work, contributing to the community, generally being useful and, one would hope, creative and enthusiastic seems a much better goal. If we go for that we could develop an education system that encourages people to find the thing that gets them going and keeps them interested. Get a job or get a life.

The garage is finally built. A driveway is in progress now and as expected Winter has arrived in a flurry of rain, cold and everything not required for the pouring of concrete. Luckily I spread a load of top soil over the old driveway so that is now a long mud pit. One day I will look back on this and laugh … but today is not that day.

The wee girl is now a raging 4 year old with a vocabulary to match and excitement for the Paw Patrol. I have had to learn the words to the theme song on pain of death … literally … she was going to hurt me if I sang it to the tune of the A-Team one more time. She does not see any problem with the mud pit driveway. I should take a lesson from that I guess.

Half way through Term 2. The next holidays are all about getting the old garage turned into a work shop and a general clean up around the property. Roll on.