Brits are freaks - Continuing Education

These Brits are freaks. I am more and more convinced of this, although they have a certain amount of positive qualities too. Such as...continuing education, the will and the perseverance to educate themselves and keep developing throughout all their lives.

I was at a conference today. Two researchers dealt with multiculturalism-related issues. The average age of the participants in what became a very interesting debate was rather high. I would quantify it roughly as 50/55. (I might be wrong, but in that case people looked much older than they actually were). Anyway, I was by far the youngest in the room.

Over the coffee break I got to talk to this old lady who was sitting right next to me. She used to work as an English teacher to foreigner students (and still does privately) and is currently a secretary for the United Nation Association UK. We talked about esperanto, language, diversity. Her knowledge struck me. As a teacher she is supposed to be well-educated of course. But still.

The point I wanted to malke in this point, however, and I'll come to that right now before going astray, is that British people have the guts to put themselves at stake, to challenge themselves even if they are old and could be happily retired idles. I thought of my grandmother when I saw this woman. She was scribbling on her notepad with the same accuracy and quickness as a XXIII century amanuensis would. My granny goes grocery shopping every single day with my grandpa, makes daily stops at her children's houses and goes back home to cook supper or watch TV. It's a very simple life. Stress-free if you want. No challenges, no efforts.

I wonder if this continuous research of being helpful, of serving the community, of making extra money is just the surface of a problem that lies way underneath, and it has to deal with the lack of solid relationships, the lack of sense that people struggle to find in being active, in doing something, in improving. I admire, to be honest, these people. It's not easy putting yourself out there these days. They are brave enough to do so, and it proves to be rather successful. But at the same time I wonder how serious they go.

What is the price for this relentless need of wanting to know and do more? Or, more plainly, what is the point in struggling to know more and do more when you are physically and mentally old? What do you do that for? Why taking the risk (especially in a society where health and safety issues are stressed in such a powerful way!)?

I see where I come from, but I don't quite see where I'm going. The thing I know is that my parents, my relatives, all the people that inhabited the environment in which I grew up (with few exceptions) settled down at a certain point. And got stuck there. Mobility is a whole new concept for me. The idea of moving on. "People move on". People improve. People study, even if they're adults. Where I come from this has never happened. Security, balance, stability were far more preferable than the challanges of improving, of being at stake, of gambling -if you want to put it that way. And you form a sound, close-knit family -which is your -my- boundary, as well as my most precious strength, and it lasts for a lifetime (hence, worth valueing it).

I rambled. But I think I've made my point clear. Continuing education and self-improvement: values per se or issues that hide inner insecurities and lack of self-esteem, self-acceptance, emotional "bliss"?