Wednesday, May 21, 2008

My Grandfather

My education into the world of knowledge was driven to a large extent my grandfather. On Sunday mornings as a child I would go over to my Grandparent’s apartment. It was furnished in a manner that was very comforting to me, in that it invited inquiry and gave off a sense of warmth. I loved the visits and relished the opportunities, often spending days before hand thinking about the future outing. A plethora of books filled the solarium (or patio as we called it in South Africa) of the apartment. Most of these books dealt with history, archaeology and the Bible. All of which were of course of great interest to my grandfather. It was obvious that he wanted to share this knowledge with me as he seemed to invite me to read the books and ask questions on the content. I took to this opportunity with zest. Questioning him on everything from the Population of the great cities to the origins of the Boer War. His answers were well thought and detailed. He spared me no simplicity in his explanation, seeking with each description to broaden my mind. I could feel myself grow, what I was receiving was invaluable. I would be forever hooked on the pursuit of knowledge.

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