Education is the process of gaining information and adding value to one self. Education relates to acquiring skills, succeeding in academics and discipline. The learning process starts once a person is born. An individual starts to learn from the environment and especially the people around them specifically the parents (Margeret, 36). Education is important in that it helps an individual to gain knowledge that can help in ensuring success in life. Many people define education is terms of academics only which is wrong. This research paper will discuss the essay by Lillian smith ‘when I was a child’ in relation to frank convoy’s thought of education does not end until life ends.
Lillian smith was a good business leader who was also interested in many other matters regarding the society. It is because of her interest in trying to understand about education that she made a lot of achievements in life. According to the essay, smith started learning from her parents at very early stage (John, 42). First, she would realize that her parents’ business had failed and that is why they had to move their summer home. It is because of the motivation that she had to acquire business skills and finally became a business leader. According to frank Conroy, the learning process is a continuous process even when one is a child. An individual is able to understand what is happening in the environment he/she lives.
Smith was also very keen to learn the religion that was being practiced in the society when she was a child. Smith realized that there were different religions in the society. In addition, she learnt that their existed a duality of consciousness in that some people practiced religion whereas others did not. Therefore, she wanted to understand why this was the case. This shows that as she was growing, she wanted to learn more and more things.
Smith went to a college that was called piedmont. Regardless of the fact that her parents did not have money to take her to college, her education did not end (John, 98). She struggled to get her own funds so that she could get the education that she required to support her life. From this, it can be observed that education can stop for a short period but it does not mean that it does not come to an end. In this case, smith did not stop her studies completely due to lack of funds after her parents business went under. Like smith, one of the stages that Conroy underwent is the college life where he advanced his studies. This stage is necessary to enable one acquire skills that can support him/her in life through making it easy for job acquisition.
Education is usually influenced by passion. One is comfortable when he/she learns a course that she likes most. Even though some courses are done so that life can be improved, ones passion highly influences the choice of career. Smith had a passion in music. After completing her college education at piedmont college, she felt that she had to satisfy her interest in music. She therefore joined a college that was called Peabody Conservatory College to study music. This enabled her to get a job where she taught music in a Methodist girls’ school (Fred, 59). By teaching music here, she continued to learn more about music. On the other hand, Frank Conroy also had the passion for music. The fact that he was a great writer who supervised writing of books; this did not stop him from doing music which was part of his passion. He used to play piano.
Smith left her job and went home whereby she was appointed to direct girls at their camp during the summer winter at laurel falls. Here, as smith continued to grow, she learnt more about herself. At the camp, she understood her capabilities from the activities she was performing. According to the essay, smith explains that a childhood is so complicated that it is only possible to understand one as one he/she grows (Smith, 76). Smith was able to learn that may people are hypocrites. She said that people pretend to be what they are in the society and this is what she called hypocrisy. In the laurel camps, smith was able to learn leadership skills which she realized that she was blessed with. In addition, she was able to learn how to live with other people by first understanding them. On the other hand, frank was a great mentor for his students. He helped the society by encouraging innovative skills of writing. The thinking of people improved and this played a great role in changing his society.
Smith played a great role in helping to improve the creativity and acceptance of new ideas among the society. Through her efforts, the girls that she led were able to learn a lot. They engaged in various skills such as art, music and theatre. As a result, the laurel falls changed a lot. From the activities of smith, it can be seen that the whole community is in the process of learning new things until it ceases to exist (Margaret, 48). This is in accordance to the thoughts of franc that learning does not end until life ends.
As smith grew, she considered the ideas of other individuals. She wanted so much to learn about herself. This is why she started a magazine with her friend Snelling. This magazine helped smith to get the ideas of different people so that she could learn more about things. In addition, smith learnt the method of questioning as a means of getting education. By questioning, she one is able to get more information about something. This is part of education since education is all about getting more information. Frank was also an individual who appreciated the writings of other people. He could get ideas from these writings.
Smith was interested in understanding the issues that affected her at each stage of youth. She wanted to know about romance and issues relating to love during her youth stage. This made her to criticize the kinds of relationships that existed in her society.
Smith also wanted very much to know why there was segregation of people in terms of race and gender. She would see at home that her mother was segregated in the society as opposed to her father (Fred, 27). It is because of this that she sought to know from her mother why such segregation existed. According to her book, the answer that her mother gave was that whites and the southern do not live together. However, she was not satisfied with the answer that she got during the childhood. This is why she sought to know more about racial segregation when she was mature. It is after her arguments that she received a lot of opposition from other people. However she continued with her efforts and this made her recognized as an individual who fought for the civil rights of the people.
The efforts of learning by smith came to an end after she died when she was attacked by breast cancer. From the story, it can be observed that the education is a continuous process that occurs at all stages in life. From the story ‘when I was a child’ by smith, it can be observed that her whole life is characterized by new education whereby she was able to get more information that she had learnt when she was a child (Smith, 63). Her learning process only came to an end when she died. From this story, it is possible to support the frank convoys’ thoughts that education comes to an end only when one dies. Frank Conroy was also an individual who did a lot of things until he died. He had many books, did music, taught and mentored many people. The two stories about smith and frank are related in that they all support the fact that education never ends. It is only stopped by death when an individual ceases to exist.
Work cited.
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