Thinking Out Loud

The title of this post is the phrase that resonated with me after last week’s screening of “Race to Nowhere”. The film’s producer and co-director, Vicki Abeles, spoke these words when referring to what I like to call the “rat race” of education. I had been looking forward to seeing this film for months, and it exceeded my expectations. I am thrilled that CNN is planning to do a piece on it soon. As much buzz as it has gotten in the media, I strongly feel that it deserves much more attention…and it will get it in the next few posts on this blog (hence the “Part 1″ in the title).

After the film, my husband and I stayed for the discussion facilitated by Vicki Abeles. I thought my fingers would fall off from the way I was typing notes on my BlackBerry. During this session, my husband raised his hand and shared something I never knew. He shared with the audience that he was already burned out by the time he reached college. In other words, he was “done” before he even started. He went on to share something I knew, but I was shocked that he chose to share it with a theater full of strangers. He proudly admitted that he never finished college. He shared that in the same matter-of-fact way that he might have stated the day of the week…and I was proud.

Some people in our lives are aware of this fact (and he has granted permission for me to share this fact with the World Wide Web. ☺), but for once, he’s unashamed! Prior to last Thursday evening, he would share it under some circumstances, but there was always a small fear on his end of being stigmatized. He now realizes that it was just an “alternative path” for him. He took several paths after leaving college. Eight years ago, he (along with two business partners) started a concierge and lifestyle management company. He has been on that path ever since, and he truly loves what he does. How many of us can say that (Well, I can, but I digress.☺)? I think Vicki said it perfectly: “College is not the destination.”

Another woman in the audience shared that she dropped out of high school at age 16, because although she strongly felt she should have been inducted into the National Honor Society, she was not accepted. She later convinced someone in admissions at Emory University to accept her, having only a GED. She is now an attorney. She, too, had an “alternative path”, and she jokingly proposed a sequel to Vicki Abeles. She expressed a desire for people to realize that there are “ordinary” people who did not finish high school and/or college, who are leading happy, fulfilling lives, people who are not Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. Vicki acknowledged that she wishes the film team had chosen to highlight more “ordinary” people who define “success” by taking an alternate path.

These are the stories I love to hear, the ones I love to celebrate. As different as these two situations they may be, they are quite similar. Neither “alternative path” led to a useless, unhappy, miserable existence. On the contrary, these people are content with their decisions, and appear to be leading fulfilling lives. So without access to their bank accounts or verification of ownership of million-dollar mansions, can we really call these two individuals “successful”?

Well, you decide…