Every Education Has Its Price

I have used this quote many times since hearing it from a friend many years ago: every education has its price.

Some education experiences cost tuition and time to attend classes, do homework, etc. Other education experiences happen quite differently than that, and the cost varies as much as the experiences do, but has no less a cost.

What was my cost with my education this week? Splinters. Lots of them!

The lesson: put on gardening gloves before you start an outdoor project, not halfway through once your hands are scraped, bleeding and full of tiny splinters!

I realized a few years ago that I have no talent in the area of trimming bushes. I usually trim them so much that it takes years for them to look good as a result of my efforts!

.

When I realized that the bushes at the entrance to our driveway had the potential of scraping my beautiful new Dodge Charger, I decided to try trimming again! It actually worked out fine for the bushes this time! They look great! I tried really hard not to scalp them. However, I didn't wear gardening gloves and, as I mentioned, suffered for it! Please keep in mind in the photo above that three of the bushes have lost their leaves (one is evergreen) so that may not look great right now!

When my son, Ben, got home from school that day, he helped me. Before he started helping, I immediately offered him gardening gloves! Why am I so automatically protective of my children but not always protective of myself? He declined (I wonder where he gets that inclination?!). I think it was simultaneous a few minutes later when we both made the decision we needed gloves, but it was a bit late! I have learned that even tiny splinters hurt a lot!

.

Much of our education comes as the result of consequences experienced due to the decisions we make in life. Next time, I plan to grab the gloves before I start whacking. With our kids, we try to save them some of the consequences we've experienced by sharing the resulting wisdom. Like us, though, sometimes they listen and other times they have to get that education for themselves. And every education has its price.

What price have you paid for your education experiences in life? --and-- How can we avoid some of those 'splinters' in the future?

.