An Ode to my Mother

     Do you know the answer to this question? Did you even know that they used snails to make purple dye? Yeah, me either, ‘til I was about fifteen years old and my mom read this in some book and went around quoting it for ages (the answer, by the way, is 60,000).

 

     My mom is amazing (and a little bit crazy, but in a good way). How many other women do you know who can quote the entire “Jabberwocky” poem from Alice in Wonderland (“'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves/Did gyre and gimble in the wabe”) or recite the complete story of William the Conqueror invading England in 1066? (Do you even know anybody who knows who William the Conqueror is?)  My mom is knowledgeable, brave and feisty, passionately unique, and, oh yeah, a book hoarder. Second-hand bookshops are probably the most dangerous place in the world for her (guaranteed she’s not coming out empty-handed). 

 

     And my mom loves to share her knowledge. I mean she really loves to share her knowledge. This is one of the greatest things about her. When I was in high school, she was a substitute teacher for my school district, and in a grade of about 1,000 kids, nearly half of them knew who I was because “you’re Ms. Gardner’s daughter, right???” Students remembered her (and by extension, me) because of her insanely fast talking speed and because of the incredible wealth of knowledge she would share with them. 

 

     My mom, to me, is the essence of an EveryDay Learner. 

 

 

 

     Why do I say that? Well, when I got to college anatomy, I discovered that I actually already knew all about how the eye and the ear work--because my mom had explained it to me as child. Once, I was making a recipe and it called for egg whites, and I realized I already knew how to separate egg whites--because, oh yeah, my mom had taught me. And that’s what an EveryDay Learner is: someone who cares about knowledge, and who cares about helping others to know things, too. 

     

     Now my mom teaches high school, and she gets to share her knowledge in more formal ways. That’s important too. But the wonderful part about the purpose of the EveryDay Learners’ initiative is that we are inviting you to make learning a part of, well, every day. Developing that passion for learning and instilling it in others is what it’s all about. 

     And learning doesn’t have to be a huge, formal event. Learning and the love of learning can extend to the smallest things: 19th century British literature, the medieval history of England--and yes, even how many snails it takes to make a pint of purple dye.