"Have you ever seen an orange EpiPen?" he asks me.
"I haven't," I reply.
His irregular toothy grin widens with his superior knowledge. But his is a smile of joy: The joy of teaching. He pulls out a long, slender black case and unzips it just enough to show me the colored plastic inside. "See? My mom's had to use one on me before. Have you had to use one?"
"Thankfully, no."
We're at church for the Christmas play rehearsal, and so our conversation is cut short. The little guy packs up his life-saving adrenaline tube and scurries off to recite his lines. And I sit back in my chair and realize I have no idea how to use an EpiPen.
I am now a little more educated. I am now a little more prepared. I learned something today which may save a life at some point. Life-long learning isn't just about gaining more knowledge, but learning that learning is a joy and a boon to you and those around you.
As a homeschooler I call learning about epinephrine autoinjectors part of my education. My education happens all around me, whether in a class, at home or chatting with nine-year-old at church. It's part of my educational philosophy. It's part of what defines us homeschoolers: Learning is a lifestyle.
And learning may save a life.
What have you learned about recently?
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester
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