Unschooling Adventure Juice
Most people put petrol or gas into their vehicles’ tanks. But we fill our car with adventure juice. Once the tank is full, we smile. Where shall we go? What shall we see? What will we do? What adventures will we have?[/intro]
Callum also fills his vehicle with adventure juice. While we are visiting my favourite second son, we all climb into his truck and then bump up and down the dirt roads that surround the small country town where he lives. I have to hang on tight as the vehicle lurches this way and that. I could be afraid. But I’m not. Callum is an excellent driver. He has to be. He drives huge trucks in the mine. That’s an adventure.
Years ago, I imagined Callum as a nurse, not a truck driver. He was accepted onto a Bachelor of Nursing degree course, and he studied successfully for a year or so, but then he changed his mind about working in the healthcare industry.
Callum and I have some one-on-one catch-up time. We sit on either side of a cafe table and sip coffee while exchanging news.
“How’s work, Callum?” I ask.
Callum’s eyes light up. “It’s good! I really enjoy driving trucks!”
“Do you remember when you were learning to drive?” I say. “You used to kangaroo hop up and down the hills!”
Callum grins. “Learning to use gears was an adventure!”
Will Callum always drive trucks? Probably not. I’m sure my son has many more adventures ahead of him.
If we stay alert and are open to new ideas and are prepared to go where adventure leads, we might find ourselves doing things we couldn’t have imagined. Interesting things. Good things. Unexpected things.
Isn’t that an exciting thought?
So I’m wondering:
Is your unschooling tank full of adventure juice?
There are lots of stories about Callum, adventures and university in my unschooling books Curious Unschoolers and Radical Unschool Love!
From a review of Curious Unschoolers by JustKristyn:
There is nothing one-sided about Sue’s work. She makes you feel like a friend. This book explains and explores unschooling as a concept, but also gives you the feeling that unschooling is just another name for living a full, interesting life, and that it is not beyond anyone’s grasp.