by Jaylen - 2013
“No, no, no, my brain isn’t nor will it ever be a sponge. Sorry to disappoint you, Patrick.” The analogy comparing the human mind to a sponge isn’t a very good one; it suggests there is value in memorizing as a method to gain fluency. To blindly accept what is taught as truth without personal verification is to go through the motions of obtaining a foundation for life. One who does this becomes only semi-conscious to the world in which he or she lives. I present myself to you not boasting the achievements of an academic savant, but as a curious intellectual who places value on authentic education.
Intellectual curiosity requires you to be fearless. You must be willing to immerse yourself in a subject to understand it, which at times may seem scary. I was given the opportunity to do this during a recent trip to Peru.
The feeling of being unique in a community is a familiar one to me, for most of my educational career I have been one of few members of my race in my learning community. Even though I was isolated at school it did not prepare me for what I would experience while abroad. Initially the modern streets of Lima gave me a false sense of comfort as the towering buildings and the hustle and bustle of life in a city reminded me of New York, a place I visit on a regular basis. It wasn’t until we reached the ancient capital city of Cuzco, isolated by the mammoth snow capped mountains of the Andes that my differences were made more evident. It was no secret that Cuzco had been the Incan capital as the cultural environment had changed. The colorful wardrobe and customs on the once mighty Incan empire were prevalent in the streets, and I would get puzzling glares from natives for they had never seen someone of my complexion. They would stare, point, and laugh at me, as they avoided me as if I were a leper. But through this bit of adversity, I was still able to function in the community and understand Peruvian cultural practices through my understanding of the Spanish language. Once they realized I could communicate with them, they accepted me. The children, instead of fearing me, would give me hugs and tell me stories about their family and friends. I was even given the opportunity, while in one of their classrooms, to attempt to learn the native language of Quechua. My education, specifically my instruction in the Spanish language, allowed me to have an experience that I can cherish and for which I can be grateful.
Being intellectually curious is more than searching for answers and solving problems for the sake of a grade or performance evaluation, it is having an insatiable hunger that drives you unpretentiously toward the unknown as if it were your next breath. The diverse situations experienced in this journey toward enlightenment are what compose an authentic education. In this age of technology where information is so abundant and readily available, I feel compelled to weed out the superficialities of my education to inform myself about subjects that are meaningful to me.
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