Incompatible Tasks

Inspirational poster by Herr D, all rights 

reserved except for explicit permission from

Herr D except for use in counselors' offices.

Made on heromachine.com, best site EVER.

I can't say I like many inspirational posters. Too many of them are obvious or make references to things I don't know about. Occasionally I've seen religion-specific ones that I couldn't even agree with. This one, however, I get. 

As an 'undercover exchange student,' I had a rather nasty shock once. Understanding the concepts a class taught wasn't enough. Proving it wasn't enough. I failed a class because I couldn't memorize topics that the career professionals are not allowed to. In that particular situation, I could tutor upperclassmen but never become one. So that career was out. The truest irony was that I discovered my memory capacity problem too late to save any money or time or very much effort on my part.

The tendency to depend too much on academia is beginning to press on modern human society. There can't actually BE that many 'learning disabilities' if alternate learning methods are commonly accepted. There ARE things I wouldn't want to learn through apprenticeship--but those choices should still exist. I've looked around a little and have trouble believing that anyone out there thinks modern education is anywhere close to how it should be.

--uh . . . IMAGINE, if you will, that there's this culture out there that requires academics in winter and trade school in summer. They have the occasional student with intellectual or physical delays or maximums, sure, but if they fail stonework and plumbing and carpentry and installation, they learn to be janitors or roof repairthings so if their engineering firm needs them, they can leave their protractors and computers and fix the roof or clean up something so the firm can go on working. One trade is not truly better than another as long as both trades are needed. I make a lousy salesman, myself. My life would've been a lot easier, otherwise.

Name a trade you wish you were better at. Or make a suggestion about overhauling education. What ya got?