My latest degree is in Historic Preservation. It's a term that I feel is a little overused in today's speech, along with calling something "green" and "sustainable." Watching and participating in this program for the last two years, I often wonder where it is going and whether it will withstand the rigors and challenges of our modern society and "technologically advanced" work habits.
I never felt the program had a defined goal in mind. For some, the goals were very open, like myself. I knew absolutely nothing about Historic Preservation so anything I ran across was always new and exciting. I was fortunate to really enjoy the hands on courses and found a true joy in historic research. I was also extremely lucky to meet with and work along side masters in the crafts and to have been apprenticed to one for the past year.
I did not always agree with the subjects being taught, or even the instructors at times, but the bottom line is that I did learn, more than I could have ever anticipated. And the learning continues.
In the past two weeks since graduation: I helped build porches on a 1760 house, dipped 8,000 wooden shingles, watched and learned as a chimney and firebox is built, and even had my own contract to remodel a business lobby in Tarboro, North Carolina. Like I said, I am extremely busy.
Does the fact that I graduated mean that I have stopped learning? Goodness no. I spend everyday learning a little more than the last, whether it's about chickens and coops, chimneys and mortar, or gardens and dirt. I have just finished one chapter of my life and am now ready to begin anew. My biggest hope is that I never stop learning.
