I'm sure my idea of necessary life skills is far different than what others think. I think driving a standard is a necessary skill. I know fewer and fewer cars seem to have them, but - here in the country, at least - you never know when you may be called upon to drive a vehicle in an emergency, and that vehicle may be a tractor or a skidder, or who knows what. Besides, there is a certain cachet, in my opinion, to being able to drive whatever.
[Break for story.] My friend J has an old convertible sports car with a stick shift. The summer she had both knees replaced, she couldn't drive it for quite a while, so she taught her granddaughter, who was 19 or 20, to drive it so they could go tooling around. This granddaughter, Jen, was in college for a hospitality degree (who knew there was such a thing?) and was working summers at a local resort doing front desk, office, and whatever else was needed. One evening there was an "event" at the resort, and they had valet parking. Jen and four guys were on duty. A man drove up in a brand new Porsche and handed over the keys. The guys just looked at each other, none being able to drive a stick. Jen was, "out of the way, boys" and parked the car.
So, yeah. Life skills: driving a stick, orienting yourself to the points of the compass day or night - if it isn't cloudy, tying a few decent knots, doing CPR, reading a map, knowing how to use, or being able to figure out how to use, a subway, swimming, basic first aid, walking without looking like a victim, making change, doing a simple budget, shopping, cooking simple meals, simple deductive reasoning, voting! Having some godsdamned faith in your ability to function as a complete individual and not someone who "needs" another person to feel complete! (Uh, oh, soap box coming on!)
That list seems to be getting longer every year. *sigh*
Ha! I like that story about Jen. And I agree that they should teach stick as well as automatic, at least until self-driving electric cars take over. :) It's like swimming--just in case.
CPR should also be required in school. Along with basic financial literacy; skills to fix or as least check on cars, sinks and toilets, and computers; a short history of racism, sexism, and class oppression in the US; and how to make small talk in the elevator. (Seriously. The millennials seem not to know how to do it, and we can't assume people just pick things up.)
There's a very sweet college-age student at one of my local coffee shops who can't seem to make change, and it's so distressing. Is he having difficulty with numbers? (Why? How?) Does he not use cash? He doesn't seem to have trouble doing anything else except that.
Make small talk in an elevator?? Nonononono, just stare straight ahead and pretend not to notice that someone farted!
And yes, I forgot cars. If you drive, you should know how to check fluid levels, change a tire, and jump start an engine. Oh, yeah. And pump gas. Seriously.
I don't get people who can't make change. I have people tell me they can't do the math in their heads, or do it fast enough, and they just don't get that you don't NEED MATH to make change, all you have to do is COUNT. It's even easier than cribbage, for heavens sake! I learned to make change when I was about six. Just COUNT! And people look at me like I have two heads. I remember a conversation with a customer once after I had counted back his change from, I dunno, a hundred, I think.
He looked at it, then looked at the display on the register that said, "Change: 0.00" "How much did you give me?" "I don't know." "Then how do you know it's right." "I counted it." "Then how much is it?" "I don't know, I counted up." "Then how do you know it's right?" "BECAUSE I CAN COUNT." I haven't much patience with some people. On the other hand, I have been thanked for counting change back instead of just handing over a fistful of bills and coins.
And just thinking. So many of the people I work with will just stand there if something breaks or goes wrong. They don't seem to have any idea how to go about figuring out what the problem is, or what to do to fix it. Logic! Troubleshooting! Do they teach ANY of this in school or even at home?
[Break for story.] My friend J has an old convertible sports car with a stick shift. The summer she had both knees replaced, she couldn't drive it for quite a while, so she taught her granddaughter, who was 19 or 20, to drive it so they could go tooling around. This granddaughter, Jen, was in college for a hospitality degree (who knew there was such a thing?) and was working summers at a local resort doing front desk, office, and whatever else was needed. One evening there was an "event" at the resort, and they had valet parking. Jen and four guys were on duty. A man drove up in a brand new Porsche and handed over the keys. The guys just looked at each other, none being able to drive a stick. Jen was, "out of the way, boys" and parked the car.
So, yeah. Life skills: driving a stick, orienting yourself to the points of the compass day or night - if it isn't cloudy, tying a few decent knots, doing CPR, reading a map, knowing how to use, or being able to figure out how to use, a subway, swimming, basic first aid, walking without looking like a victim, making change, doing a simple budget, shopping, cooking simple meals, simple deductive reasoning, voting! Having some godsdamned faith in your ability to function as a complete individual and not someone who "needs" another person to feel complete! (Uh, oh, soap box coming on!)
That list seems to be getting longer every year. *sigh*
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CPR should also be required in school. Along with basic financial literacy; skills to fix or as least check on cars, sinks and toilets, and computers; a short history of racism, sexism, and class oppression in the US; and how to make small talk in the elevator. (Seriously. The millennials seem not to know how to do it, and we can't assume people just pick things up.)
There's a very sweet college-age student at one of my local coffee shops who can't seem to make change, and it's so distressing. Is he having difficulty with numbers? (Why? How?) Does he not use cash? He doesn't seem to have trouble doing anything else except that.
Kids these days. :) M.
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And yes, I forgot cars. If you drive, you should know how to check fluid levels, change a tire, and jump start an engine. Oh, yeah. And pump gas. Seriously.
I don't get people who can't make change. I have people tell me they can't do the math in their heads, or do it fast enough, and they just don't get that you don't NEED MATH to make change, all you have to do is COUNT. It's even easier than cribbage, for heavens sake! I learned to make change when I was about six. Just COUNT! And people look at me like I have two heads. I remember a conversation with a customer once after I had counted back his change from, I dunno, a hundred, I think.
He looked at it, then looked at the display on the register that said, "Change: 0.00"
"How much did you give me?"
"I don't know."
"Then how do you know it's right."
"I counted it."
"Then how much is it?"
"I don't know, I counted up."
"Then how do you know it's right?"
"BECAUSE I CAN COUNT."
I haven't much patience with some people. On the other hand, I have been thanked for counting change back instead of just handing over a fistful of bills and coins.
And just thinking. So many of the people I work with will just stand there if something breaks or goes wrong. They don't seem to have any idea how to go about figuring out what the problem is, or what to do to fix it. Logic! Troubleshooting! Do they teach ANY of this in school or even at home?
*sigh* I'm old.
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