...my computer just don't know who you are.

I got a letter yesterday from my insurance guy. It was one of those "you mean so much to us, we made you a few dozen address stickers with a fun little graphic on them" kind of thing. The trouble was: The stickers had someone else's address on them.

Nice.

I was so inspired by their obvious care and attention to detail, I gave them a call.

"Hi, Luke," said the cheerful guy on the other end of the line.

'Weird,' I thought to myself, 'he certainly seems to know who I am.'

After a few moments, the insurance guy had found the problem. Their office had my information correct. But the marketing database had it wrong. That would explain how they were able to bill me and yet not know my address.

The world was beginning to make sense again.

And, working at Sonlight, I can relate. It would be nice to have a central system that handles everything we do... but such a piece of technology--if it exists--is beyond my reach. And so, I realzied, it's entirely possible that something fishy may happen to you as you interact with Sonlight over the years.

It's not because we don't care about you. But our computers may have no idea who you are. Just remember, like I did with my insurance company, please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We'd love to help!

Speaking of marketing... don't forget to check out the Christmas Sale.

And if you haven't given to the Mission India project yet, you need to do it before the end of today to have your gift matched.

What's the oddest piece of mail you've received?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Please use a #2 pencil and fill in your choice with a complete, dark circle.

1. Customizable learning environment
2. Parent-child interaction
3. Low teacher to student ratio
4. Nurturing environment
5. a through d
6. No Scantron^®

I got thinking about this when I saw the comic in this post.

I'm not a fan of the standardized test. There are much better ways to go about measuring understanding, retention, application, recall... You know, all those terms we imply when we talk about "learning" and "education." Unfortunately, since schools don't have option e above, they must resort to the tools of f.

But here's what struck me today as the image of multiple-choice teen gnawed at the back of my mind: My friends have always thought just as creatively as I do. In fact, many of them are more brilliant than I'll ever be.

So, sure: Smile sadly at the incredible limitations mass produced education demands. Be thankful for the privilege we have to educate our children at home. Consider the many blessings we enjoy as homeschoolers. But do not, do not, stick your nose in the air and believe for a minute that the children in "the other system" can't function as well as yours.

I am well aware that the school system is flawed. In spite of this, my friends have turned out amazingly well.

The encouragement we should take from this, in my mind, is we don't need to worry about our own children. We're giving them so many fantastic opportunities, what gaps and struggles we encounter can and will be overcome with a life-long love of learning.

What have you found makes your homeschool experience great?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

She sits, head in her hands.

My wife's fingers gently comb through her hair. We three sit quietly. I squeeze her, my eyes brimming with tears for her pain. There are no words which would help.

Her phone chirps. Her dad is calling, making sure she's okay and accounted for. "But it's not like this at home," she confides to us. "We're not this close."

She's not the first teen I've talked with who feels this way. Homeschoolers and other-schoolers alike: At some point, for some reason, there is often a disconnect between parent and child. Looking back, I see it in my own life as well.

Park Bench

There's this idea I keep bumping into in the homeschool world: "Parents must be the ones to train their children." I get the biblical mandate. I understand the importance of parental involvement. I'm not suggesting that parents shouldn't be involved in their child's life. What I don't like is the idea that parents should be the only mentor/instructor/teacher. That does not lead to good things. And, really, that's not a reality which can be achieved in a healthy environment.

Homeschooling is great, not just because you can be so involved in your child's life, but you can also help them find resources beyond you.

The question, then, is: Who are your children's mentors? Where do your kids go when they are in pain, or frustrated, or confused and--for whatever the reason--don't feel like they can come to you?

What things are you doing/have done to help make sure your children find good mentors?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

We just returned from the fabric store. The cloth can be fun, the patterns nice, the knickknacks interesting, the possibilities endless. But possibilities are dashed against the reality of a budget. As fun as homemade items can be, they can cost way more than what can be procured at a place that handles this stuff in mass.

Mass production/distribution--be it cars, curriculum or craft supplies--works in part by buying in bulk and passing on those savings to you. That gap in price is enough to keep businesses going and, in my case, me from taking the time to do it myself.

As we looked for the items we needed, we stopped by the patterns. 'Incredible,' I realized. 'They sell enough patterns to pay for the design, production, and printing of these catalogs, which includes paying the tailors, models, and photographers.'

But the price variation of mass distribution was tugging on us as well. "We'll buy one of these here for today, and we'll check the price online later."

Interestingly, this Do-It-Yourself price gap does not apply to most home improvement projects. Why? You can't mass produce custom shelves that fit my basement.

What things have you found to be prohibitively expensive to do on your own? What things are you glad others can do for you for less?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester