The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Do you feel you learn more from Tolkien and the Downs than School?

**lindil** · 04-09-2003, 07:13 AM

Welcome to the Downs Lost Ranger!

And of course I am honoured that my little query has brought you forth from lurking to posting. May you post well and wisely.

You of course bring up an interesting piont re: teaching with passion and it also points to a dilemna I was not able to overcome in most regards during school; if I did not have a passion for the class or the teacher did not communicate one to me that I could identify with then I often flailed in the class or scraped by.

This was a real lack on my part, I see with ever-increasing hindsight [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img], as I allowed my choices to be more or less dictated by another person's [and culture's!] low level of being or utter lack of skill in teaching or as you mentioned Lost Ranger, sheer unconcern.

To me this lesson is one of [if not] the most persistent and difficlut ones I have to grapple with; doing what should be done whether there is any outside support or not.

Tolkien was indeed a great solace and a pointer to the True Path on numerous and even essential levels, but could not replace many things - which is hardly suprising as the Legendarium is designed as a replacment mythology - not a replacment High School Curriculum!

In my high school [it was huge sprawling affair in suburban Northern Virginia with 3,300 students] it was for me componded by the inherent mistrust I had in the entire system of learning which seemed to be prinicipally designed to fashion me into a maleable cog in the corporate american consumer machine.

Untangling that above premise [whicgh alas has proven only too true as the years have worn on] with the need and desire for a good foundation in Math, Music, the Sciences and Languages proved more than I could successfully grapple with. So by and large I retreated in Tolkien and other not here mentionable vices and so deeply influneced and realigned my entire path of education.

04-09-2003, 07:13 AM	#12
lindil Seeker of the Straight Path Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: a hidden fastness in Big Valley nor cal Posts: 1,680	Welcome to the Downs Lost Ranger! And of course I am honoured that my little query has brought you forth from lurking to posting. May you post well and wisely. You of course bring up an interesting piont re: teaching with passion and it also points to a dilemna I was not able to overcome in most regards during school; if I did not have a passion for the class or the teacher did not communicate one to me that I could identify with then I often flailed in the class or scraped by. This was a real lack on my part, I see with ever-increasing hindsight [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img], as I allowed my choices to be more or less dictated by another person's [and culture's!] low level of being or utter lack of skill in teaching or as you mentioned Lost Ranger, sheer unconcern. To me this lesson is one of [if not] the most persistent and difficlut ones I have to grapple with; doing what should be done whether there is any outside support or not. Tolkien was indeed a great solace and a pointer to the True Path on numerous and even essential levels, but could not replace many things - which is hardly suprising as the Legendarium is designed as a replacment mythology - not a replacment High School Curriculum! In my high school [it was huge sprawling affair in suburban Northern Virginia with 3,300 students] it was for me componded by the inherent mistrust I had in the entire system of learning which seemed to be prinicipally designed to fashion me into a maleable cog in the corporate american consumer machine. Untangling that above premise [whicgh alas has proven only too true as the years have worn on] with the need and desire for a good foundation in Math, Music, the Sciences and Languages proved more than I could successfully grapple with. So by and large I retreated in Tolkien and other not here mentionable vices and so deeply influneced and realigned my entire path of education. __________________ The dwindling Men of the West would often sit up late into the night exchanging lore & wisdom such as they still possessed that they should not fall back into the mean estate of those who never knew or indeed rebelled against the Light.