Oooooo...The Pressure!

I loved being homeschooled. I was taught to love learning, develop my passions, and seek understanding from the world around me. The downside, however, is the pressure to be exceptional. There are many homeschoolers who have accomplished great things. Some graduate Harvard, and some start businesses in their twenties. This is cool, and I'm happy for them, but not every homeschooler can be exceptional like that. So what happens when a homeschooler is only, well, average?

I have been approached by well-meaning people who were interested in my homeschooling experience. A conversation from one of these people might have gone like this:

Inquisitor: "So what are you doing now that you have 'graduated' homeschool?"
Me: "I went to college for a year, and then got married."
Inquisitor: "Oh, how nice! Do you plan on going back to school?"
Me: "I don't think so. My true passion is writing books, so that's what I'm going to pursue right now, and I don't need a college degree for that."
Inquisitor: "Okay. Have you published yet?"
Me: "Not yet. I have been working on a book for several years, but editing is slow."
Inquisitor: "So what are you doing now?"
Me: "Well, working full-time, and stuff."
Inquisitor: "Uh-huh."

Maybe I'm just overreacting, but I can't help but wonder what the Inquisitor might have thought after this conversation. Was I the product of homeschooling that she had been expecting? After all, she's taking a leap of faith in pulling her own kids out of school and homeschooling them. But what she witnessed was not a phenomenal human being who has changed the world with her talents and accomplishments. Shouldn't your average homeschooler play mozart at six years old, write bestsellers in their teens, or create stunning, museum-worthy artwork? If they don't, then what was the point of taking them out of school? If giving a child the freedom and opportunity to develop their talents doesn't make them exceptional, then what will? Oh, that's right. SCHOOL. The children might be unhappy, but at least good, old-fashioned discipline and threat of punishment gets results fairly consistently.

Hmm...so unless I look like this:



















WOO! Look at the great stuff
I'm doing! I'm AWESOME cause
I was homeschooled!







I must look like this...


















Um, I'm still working on
getting somewhere... Cause,
you know, homeschooling
failed to make me AWESOME.




So the question that must be explored here is...why are we homeschooling our children? So that they can develop super awesome talents that will make them rich and famous? So they can accomplish great things and be lauded by the world? So their parents can feel all warm and fuzzy because they created a phenomenal child?

Or...because we love to learn, and love what we do, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem to the world?



















If a woman worked at a small laundry business all of her life, would her parents be ashamed? Would she be considered a nobody by the world? But what if the woman LOVED to do laundry? What if homeschooling led her to discover this passion, and then helped her find work that she enjoyed? What if she was happy to do laundry for the rest of her life? Did she fail, or did she succeed?

What if I never manage to publish a book? Now, that's not saying that I won't try, or that's not what I desire to do. But what if I don't? What if my stories are only enjoyed by me, my family, and a few close friends? Would I have failed? Or would I be a success? Well, if I wrote to the very best of my ability, and it brought me joy throughout my life, then I would consider it a success (with lots of therapy). But see! Even I have a worldly perspective of success and failure that I need to work through! Everyone does. And no matter what kind of life I will lead, I will choose to follow my passion and purpose without needing to compare my accomplishments with the rest of the world. And, in so doing, I hope to be happy. :) What is your perception of success and failure? Please feel free to share your thoughts!