Monday, December 06, 2004

Work or stay at home?

My dad got a degree in electrical engineering from a good university. After that, he went to work for his father driving trucks and busses. Some people view that as a waste. Why get an engineering degree and take a job that doesn't require a college education?

The other day on the Dr. Phil show, a working mother asks of stay-at-home mothers, why go to college merely to raise children? This question was taken as an insult. Raising children is not to be taken lightly. I agree, raising children is not to be taken lightly, but isn't this the same question asked of my dad? Is it a waste of a college education to live a life that doesn't utilize it, even if that life is spent in an important pursuit?

The stay-at-home mothers responded that they go to college to enrich their minds and become well-rounded individuals so that they might be better parents.

My answer has always been much simpler: it's my life, and I can do what I want with it. You got a problem with that?

If I have an interest, and I want to spend time studying it, there's nothing wrong with that. If I then want to pursue some other occupation not related to my interest, that's fine too. Fulfillment comes by many paths.

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