The Piece of Paper
01/07/14 18:24
I had an interesting academic music experience today in the least academic environment possible.
To avoid any legal unpleasantness, I won’t mention the company name, but I currently work for a store that sells electronics. While meandering around, trying to find something to occupy my caged and battering mind, I stopped to offer a customer help. He curtly told me he was seeking a digital storage device.
Long story short, in the middle of this interview, I mentioned my experience storing different media while pursuing my master’s degree. The fellow perked up, and for 30 minutes, engaged me in an upbeat discussion about music and my brilliance. Needless to say I made that sale, and was incredibly saddened as a result.
This man - not evil or cruel, simply in the middle of the bell curve - assumed I was an idiot until he learned of my academic accomplishments. And only after learning of the very expensive pieces of paper on my wall, did he treat me with a modicum of respect.
Don’t get me wrong - academia is a beautiful and terrible individualized animal. It can give you what nothing else can - the good and the bad. But...BUT....why do we judge a person’s intellect based on the pieces of very expensive paper on her wall? I love learning. And my most concentrated learning experiences tend to take place either in or as a result of academic exposure. But I know towering men and women of intelligence, grace, and sensitivity with no college education.
The piece of paper means one thing - social and textual success in a very expensive and traditional learning environment. And that absolutely IS success and should be recognized. But by God in Heaven, it is nowhere NEAR the only one.
To avoid any legal unpleasantness, I won’t mention the company name, but I currently work for a store that sells electronics. While meandering around, trying to find something to occupy my caged and battering mind, I stopped to offer a customer help. He curtly told me he was seeking a digital storage device.
Long story short, in the middle of this interview, I mentioned my experience storing different media while pursuing my master’s degree. The fellow perked up, and for 30 minutes, engaged me in an upbeat discussion about music and my brilliance. Needless to say I made that sale, and was incredibly saddened as a result.
This man - not evil or cruel, simply in the middle of the bell curve - assumed I was an idiot until he learned of my academic accomplishments. And only after learning of the very expensive pieces of paper on my wall, did he treat me with a modicum of respect.
Don’t get me wrong - academia is a beautiful and terrible individualized animal. It can give you what nothing else can - the good and the bad. But...BUT....why do we judge a person’s intellect based on the pieces of very expensive paper on her wall? I love learning. And my most concentrated learning experiences tend to take place either in or as a result of academic exposure. But I know towering men and women of intelligence, grace, and sensitivity with no college education.
The piece of paper means one thing - social and textual success in a very expensive and traditional learning environment. And that absolutely IS success and should be recognized. But by God in Heaven, it is nowhere NEAR the only one.
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