Joy

Probably my favorite quote right now comes from Anne Ohman....
"Real, natural learning is in the living.
It's in the observing, the questioning, the examining, the pondering, the analyzing, the watching, the reading, the DO-ing, the living, the breathing, the loving, the JOY.
It's in the joy."

I was reading a few minutes ago about an unschooling family, a blog written by the papa bear, who is "an academic economist who teaches at a law school and has never taken a course for credit in either field."
I always enjoy reading about highly educated (self educated, sometimes) people who truly believe in unschooling. Such as Mr. John Holt. After I read "How Children Fail", I was hooked.
Well, (grin), I still had to fumble around for a while, as you know, but I'm on my way.

After reading that post, I checked out some of the comments. One in particular that struck me said "School isn't enjoyable, true, but neither is most of what a majority of people do for a living. Public School is - well its true mission, at least - to discipline a populace in preparation for workforce precipitation, modern educators accomplish absurd repetitive assignments which bore people. It’s supposed to bore people, yet their expected to do it anyway. This is the goal of public education."
This was pretty much spouted over and over in various forms (most of them used this idea in defense of the school system!). From the comments I read, though admittedly I didn't read them all - I was left feeling so sad!
I kept thinking, "Geez, this is what people think Life is about? Misery, drudgery, following orders, and bowing down to an idea of hierarchy?"
Some may take offense to this opinion, as this blog is entitled "Happy and Free", and I do consider myself such. But I consider all of us free.
I heard Naomi Aldort say in her taped live conference (Trusting Our Children, Trusting Ourselves) something about herself not being free. That none of us are free. I assume she meant from obligations and work, etc.
But I disagree.
I have said before, and probably will again, that the only thing you have to do this world is leave it. People say "death and taxes", but really, you can choose imprisonment as an alternative to paying taxes.
If you choose to view employment as bondage, that's your choice. You are also free to view it as a privelege that supplies yourself and your family with resources for your needs and wants. If you choose to live in a house in suburbia instead of a lean-to in the forest and survive off the land, that's your choice. We all choose our obligations. We're free to walk away from them. People do it every day. Be free by living on the street. Work under the table. Live in a treehouse. Live as Ghandi. Siddhartha. Live as Jesus did.
To anyone that views my life as easy, or worry free (including my ddh) I would just say "I choose to see the beauty in it."
Eric made a comment the other day about my being odd because I found laundry photograph-worthy.
To me, it was.
It epitomized our day.
Lazy, breezy, easy, functioning, clean, flowing, unhurried, gentle.
I'm sometimes able to see the magic - and I go searching for it when I feel the need- in my life. In my family.
Visit any parenting website, and you'll read such things as "The Terrible Fours!... What To Do." and "Is your child Out Of Control?... Go here!" and so forth. Oprah touts Motherhood as the most important job. Dr. Phil says a sahm/d does the work of someone working two full time jobs. My state is reputed to be the anti-depressant capital of the country.
My point is, that it could be an uneventful and boring existance. Or a frustrating and vexing one.
(shrug) Exacerbating or sublime.

I choose to find the magic.
I'm not bragging, or boasting my aplomb.
I'm just saying that you can view the world and life in a variety of ways.

I realize that my personal philosophy is rather liberal and free-spirited.
But to me, a life well lived means choosing Joy.

"It's in the joy."