The School of Life

I wrote this article several years ago.

Welcome to The School of Life!
What will you learn today?

This School of Life is open year round,
twenty four hours a day, seven days a
week.
Sometimes we are teachers, sometimes
students, or other special persons that
help this school function so that we may
all graduate eventually.
The school is recreated by your thoughts
each day upon waking. You must be open-
minded to understand how limitless
the education you can receive here truly
is. There are no limits whatsoever unless
you allow them to exist by believing
they are there.
As you enter the front hallway, you will
see all manner of awards in display
cases. The awards are the circumstances
of our lives, and our environment,
created by our actions. Some were won by
yourself, some by fellow students and
some by teachers and administrative
staff. Oh, yes, and janitors
(environmentalists), cafeteria workers
(farmers) and maintenance staff
(laborers, scientists, conStruction
workers, etc.) have very special awards
all their own. You may also take those
roles occasionally. The parents, family,
friends and childcaregivers come for
special events to learn and teach, too.
There is as much to be learned in
those important jobs as in the role of
student! Love awarded for love given,
respect awarded for respect given, and so
on. You have to have bestowed an award to
receive one. No awards are more important
than any others in this hall filled with
so many.
The library past the hall of awards
contains all the collective knowledge of
mankind. Open the doors to wisdom any
time you wish - this library never
closes! It holds your thoughts. You are
free to read anything and decide what you
believe to be true. View videos, listen
to music, enjoy yourself! We learn
through entertainment, too!
There is a gymnasium in this School of
Life and sports and gymnastic equipment
for competitive games or solitary
workouts as suits you. Competition
teaches many lessons as does working out
alone, or just being in stillness in
meditation. A healthy body helps your
mind and spirit function at optimum
levels together.
Classrooms exist with structured
schedules and pre-assigned learning
materials. You are free to enroll in
these or you may choose self-paced
courses for which you choose the format
and learning materials and learn through
experience. You may stay in classes as
long as you wish, but if you choose to
move on before you have learned the
lessons assigned you in a class, please
be assured you will find yourself back in
that class in one lifetime or another.
Remember, you chose your classes, whether
you are conscious of that fact or not!
Your guidance counselor only advised you.
The cafeteria here serves anything your
heart desires to fuel your body. Choose
wisely! Help replenish the food supplies
without waste so others may continue to
be nourished here. There are even lessons
to learn here in the cafeteria!
There is a supply room with all manner of
art and office supplies with which to be
creative.
Next we come to the office - your
conscience. Here your records are kept;
the story of your life. Others may store
information about you here, but the only
records that truly matter are the ones
you keep. What is true for you? Have you
punished yourself for lack of
participation? For tardiness? For
absences? For mistreating others here at
school? You are the one who doles out
your punishments through your actions.
You teach others how to treat you by your
beliefs about yourself.
There is a detention room adjoining the
office of your conscience. You put
yourself in detention out of a lack of
understanding of how to make the most of
this place, this School of Life!
Ah, yes , and the restrooms and showers
are here for us to wash and flush away
the cares and grunge of daily life that
build up if we let them!
The playground is always open here, too!
Children, as well as adults learn from
play. Enjoy this life!
The education here is open to anyone with
a thirst for knowledge. Some think they
are prohibited from attending, though no
one is! Take advantage of it! You are one
of the lucky ones who is aware of its
open enrollment! We can all be at the
head of the class together, if we only
realize it.