Continuing Education?

Proud Daddy as Gina Graduates Summa Cum Laude at UCLA

With free public education through twelfth grade, we all have access to the portals of learning, and some will take advantage of this historically unique opportunity to excel.

I'm not naive enough to believe all grade schools are equal, but hopefully they all teach children how to read and then introduce them to their school library.

Too often as children, we mistake education as being exclusively what we learn in the classroom, but what great teachers attempt to instill is a love of learning along with instruction on how to find information on anything we want to know about.

Library of Celsus in Ephesus

Too many believe the reason they have to write a weekly social studies report is to torment them, and instead of doing their own work try to find someone to do it for them and then pass it off as their own.

This type of cheating may fool the teacher but leaves the student without the ability to accomplish tasks on their own in college or the real world.

2001 Graduation Ceremony for Gina and Laszlo at UCLA

Commencement ceremonies are not the end of education, culminating with a diploma or degree, but in fact, as the word commencement implies, Commencement is the beginning of a lifetime of education.

While much of our further education will be related to specialized subjects related to our careers, most of us will also explore history on our own in one form or another.

Those who see no practical reason to study history should re-consider the words of Spanish philsopher George Santayana: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Antique Armoire at Getty Center

If you haven't thought about history since you passed your last social studies test in high school, you must not be trying at all.

There are terrific TV shows that combine entertainment with fascinating history, like AMC's "Turn" about the American Revolution or the time travel fantasy on NBC, "Timeless."

Another recent favorite is "Victoria" on PBS Masterpiece, which will have a Season One Marathon leading up to the season finale.

And, of course, there are movies on about every era imaginable.

With a little more effort, we can return to the library.

While I occasionally read pure escapism, just as I watch a lot of pure entertainment TV shows like the new "APB" on FOX, mostly I enjoy historical novels and on occasion straight history.

Arc de Triomphe in Paris

I recently finished two historcical novels by Edward Rutherford, first "Paris" and then "New York."  My friend Pete, an avid reader, turned me on to Rutherford by recommending "Sarum: The Novel of England" when we saw it for sale in the Seal Beach Library for ten cents. I splurged for a dime and the rest is history.

Rutherford's epics follow descendents of fictional families who metaphorically represent their countries through different periods of history in the tradition of the late James Michener's works.  The stories don't always come to neat conclusions with clear Aesopian morals, but I always feel like I'm getting increased understanding of not only important episodes in history but of the human condition.

Laszlo, Gina and Wes at Columbia University, NYC, in 2009

Just yesterday, I returned "New York," which I strongly recommend to anyone as a fascinating read about our wonderful country, to check out "Thomas Jefferson & the Tripoli Pirates."  Based on the previous Brian Kilmeade novel I read, "George Washington's Secret Six," I expect this will be more or less straight history in novel form.

Whatever your interests may be, you can probably find a book about them in the library, and of course, you also have the internet at your disposal, keeping in mind that you should always consider the source when accepting any information, whether in the library, on line or on TV.

The Roman Forum

At some point, if you're like most of us, your curiosity will lead you to a desire to visit the places where history has unfolded.

Ocean cruises and river cruises both offer remarkable opportunities to learn more about diverse regions.  The only question that remains is where should you go first?

Right now, there are terrific deals on flights to both Europe and Asia, as Americans seem to feel more comfortable staying close to home this year, but even closer to home you can explore amazing history.

Take advantage of this opportunity to see the world for yourself.

"Better service leads to better trips!"