The People You Meet

We had another wonderful encounter today.
As we were taking Boulder for a walk we just happened to be passing by the beach parking lot. Savanna, as usual had to greet a woman standing next to her car. She mentioned that her five year old was sleeping inside and that she would probably love to play with Savanna.
We raced against the darkening sky back to the trailer to change. When we returned to the beach Savanna eagerly spotted her and went to see if her daughter could play. While she was off with her new friend I chatted to the mother and grandmother. I learned that the mother was home for a visit from Whitehorse. This is certainly the place to meet world travelers, as army personnel tend to move quite frequently with their postings. (Last week we met a family who had spent three years in Russia.)
I found it very interesting to learn that they do not have thunderstorms in the Yukon. Unfortunately, our visit was cut short by the weather but I know Savanna was happy to have a playmate for a while.
I was pleased to hear them comment on how friendly and outgoing Savanna was. I wish for the life of me I could remember what it was that Savanna said that was so remarkable but I know I was taken aback that she would know that at her age. It must be all that Bill Nye The Science Guy!
I find it amusing that the Bill Nye DVD's are labeled for grades four and up. Savanna loves them and I'm sure that there are other kids younger than nine or ten that would too. If you look at the educational trends, much of the way things that are taught today are watered down compared to the way they used to be. Take for instance, the fact that Shakespeare used to be taught to elementary school students. If you look at some of the text books from the early part of the 20th century, you will find that the materials taught in the lower grade levels have been shifted to a significantly later grade.
If you would like to know more about this I highly recommend the works of John Taylor Gatto and John Holt. I'm currently reading John Holt's, 'How Children Fail'. I also love his, 'Teach Your Own' and 'Learning All The Time'.