the greatest school you can go

Thomas Edison the man who invented the light bulb went to school for only three months in his life time. He went ahead all the same and made perhaps one of the most profound inventions of the 20th century. The man himself has a desire to learn. He had the desire to make a difference just like the person you are.

The list of great men, whose only form of school was the world they lived in, the people they associated with is perhaps endless. Leonardo Davinci perhaps the genius of his time was profound in art, architecture, medicine, engineering and a dozen other things.

Let's perhaps go back to the world of Davinci in order to understand this clearly. In this world, the greatest invention could easily be the wheel, a couple of cutting and piercing instruments, a compass and great ships. There were not a lot of books to read apart from poetry and bible or religious theology. There were a number of teachers, philosophers to be exact as the world had just arrived at the `age of enlightment`. During this time, on the mind of any was the search for knowledge such that whoever came up with a thing as a well measured statement about life was considered wise.

We had just come from the place where sailing the sea was much a miracle as were certain if not all diseases considered acts and results of black magic and witchcraft. Not to say that a sailing ship is not a miracle in the eye of the poet, not being lesser, or even in the marvel of it.

At the time, the artist had to collect pigment for his piece from the wild flowers, he had to scribble on papyrus and paper not so much formed as is now. The sculptor had to go dig the sand and clay himself even without a manual of how much he should mix. The men of this time had a desire, a zeal to the world that so often lacks in us. The man Davinci was, no wonder in a world were perspective literal as it sounds now was not a thing heard of, able to produce one of the most amazing pieces of art ever.

The Monalisa, a work of Davinci is kept in the French louvre, valued at millions of dollars. It shows on selected days for a couple of minutes before it is taken back for safe keeping in a dark room lest it is damaged by the sun.

Every household since the invention of the light bulb that has electricity has had the honors of using such or its predecessors.

The best school you will ever go to is the world around you. I hope that earlier in your life you notice so. The birds in the sky are the aeronautic engineer`s greatest inspiration as is the cheetah to the maker of the Lamborghini. The architect listens to his site. The poet hears and talks to the stars. The teacher learns from the student. The hustle and bustle of everyday life is the best inventory of the great musician. The great soldier learns from the chameleon or the snake, the doctor from the frog and the trees in his compound.

God made the world with everything we need to conquer and subdue it. I will say again that the best school you have is the world around you. All it takes is a heart like that of Edison, a restlessness like that of Davinci, a soul quiet as that of Beethoven. And on and on the list will go. How I wish you can add your name to this.