My Father's Hands

[Gary]

I've attached a very short story that I read when I was in the fifth grade. It was one of the handful of stories I read as a child that stuck with me my entire life. It's the story of illiteracy told from the perspective of the son of an illiterate farmer. It's still one of the most moving and compelling stories I have ever read.

Maybe the people who read this forum will notice some parallels to the struggles of getting ahead today without a degree. Mostly, it's just a very moving story that I often think about--especially this time of year. I found a reference to this story on a blog which was dated December 23, 2005 (?) so I guess I'm not the only one who thinks of it during the holidays.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Merry Christmas.

Michael, this was a very meaningful story. BUT, what I would like to add is that we place SOOOO MUCH value on education (there is nothing wrong w/that) but many people in this world (w/out education) helped create America for what it is today. I use my father, probably many of you can say the same, as an example. Drop-out in the 9th grade, worked w/his hands his whole life and many "educated" people came to rely on him for his expertise. People in the past did not really need an education, their hands spoke for them. He left a great legacy, w/out an education. A Korean War Veteran, lost hearing from mortars, received a combat infantry badge, he did not need a piece of paper to validate himself. I have always maintained that the paper is very valuable to many, especially nowadays since the days of dropping out of school and working w/your hands is not really much of an option anymore. Honestly, when I hear people use the term "educated", I kind of look at that as an insult to many who "are not". I meet many people, pretty much everyday, who do not have degrees, who have sooooo much to offer, and have much more smarts and common sense than the so called "educated". My dad died just over one year ago and many like him lived very productive lives, relied on by those who had degrees but who didn't have the skills the "uneducated" had. This is a pet peeve of mine. I encourage education as much as the next person but realize it's not for everybody, nor does everybody need it. Lastly Michael, don't take this little rant as a personal attack, I have seen many of your posts and you are not only very informative and helpful, your posts no doubt are an inspiration to many on here. This story definitely has special meaning because being that short on skills obviously will create hardships in life, I did get that part of the message. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.