Is it now that my daughters are at an age (5 and 6) where they're fascinated by the world, and what I can teach them about it, that I get a real buzz out of passing on knowledge? Or is it just something in me that's been bursting to get out? Thinking about it, the times I'm happiest at work are when I'm sharing knowledge, training and mentoring my staff or colleagues in things I know how to do.
I love sitting down with my daughters and seeing the real, genuine wide-eyed look of wonder they have when they ask about, I don't know, volcanoes and ancient Rome (this arose out of last Saturday's Doctor Who, you'll quickly realise) and I can explain to them where Rome is, when the Roman Empire flourished, what happened to it, and what happened in Pompeii.
I don't have any genuine talents I can pass on to them - mastering a musical instrument, say, or being able to hole every putt from ten feet in - but I do still get a real kick out of just, I don't know, telling them things, things I know, knowledge I've acquired that I hope will help them understand the world. Why Manchester United are the root of all evil in the world, that kind of thing.
I wonder if I'd have been much happier (if a little poorer) as a teacher. Is it part of the human condition, this warm feeling one gets from passing on information and knowledge?
I love sitting down with my daughters and seeing the real, genuine wide-eyed look of wonder they have when they ask about, I don't know, volcanoes and ancient Rome (this arose out of last Saturday's Doctor Who, you'll quickly realise) and I can explain to them where Rome is, when the Roman Empire flourished, what happened to it, and what happened in Pompeii.
I don't have any genuine talents I can pass on to them - mastering a musical instrument, say, or being able to hole every putt from ten feet in - but I do still get a real kick out of just, I don't know, telling them things, things I know, knowledge I've acquired that I hope will help them understand the world. Why Manchester United are the root of all evil in the world, that kind of thing.
I wonder if I'd have been much happier (if a little poorer) as a teacher. Is it part of the human condition, this warm feeling one gets from passing on information and knowledge?
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