Lesson for a Child by Abigail

Lesson for a Child by Abigail - September 2018 Scholarship Essay

In a house with children, there’s no avoiding new things. A new life, a new baby. It’s the most complicated puzzle in the world. It’s the puzzle I will be solving in 25 years, when I am 41 years old.

As for right now, I am definitely still a kid ... and I don’t much fancy the idea of growing up. I hear too many tales of a lost sense of wonderment and a yield to the routine. I wonder how many 41 year olds today would consider themself learners. It saddens me. Once we’re done with school, often times, we’re done being curious. We’re done questioning the norm. We’re done living in the moment.

But do we still learn? The only way that we human beings know how to learn is from other people. Whether through books or personal interaction, we turn to our own species for guidance. Usually this is a time-worn expert, but imagine the possibilities that come from seeing the world as a child does.

I believe that a child’s mind, a child’s heart, and a child’s curiosity are what will keep me learning in 25 years, and all throughout my life. I have no doubt that I want to be a mother, and I intend to learn from that experience every day. Until that day, I’ll hang on to my inner child as much as possible Because, in truth, learning comes outside of class. If you demand growth from yourself, you will condition yourself to be a learner.

This is what I aspire, and what I pledge to myself, to do.

I pledge to never stop reading critically, even if it’s from Goodnight Moon.

I pledge to never stop making scientific observations, even if it’s about a toddler’s favorite food.

I pledge to never stop writing down my critiques, even if it’s in a diary on my nightstand.

I pledge to never stop questioning the fairness of a governing system, even if it’s in a game of tag.

I pledge to never stop in my quest for knowledge, even if it’s from life’s “mundane” and “monotonous” drone. I pledge to never see life that way.