The Value of Education

Several of my friends from my college days have posted an article written in The Federalist to their Facebook pages this morning. The basic argument of the piece calls into question the value and importance of higher education compared to the massive amount of debt students tend to accumulate as a result.

The article points out that "about $758.5 billion is owed to the federal government" by students for loans. Author Daniel Oliver mainly argues that it's time for Republicans to step up and fight to cancel federal aid for higher education due to its effect on the economy.

While Oliver makes many excellent points, and I agree with the economic premise that it is in no way the government's responsibility to pay for my education, this article misunderstands the purpose of a solid education in the first place. It's not to get a great job or make more money or become more successful. Modern American society wants you to think that, but it just isn't so. College and higher education is meant to drive young (and old) people to a higher standard, to give us a perspective and maturity that would be difficult to attain otherwise. 

The value of my education is not found in my paycheck. It is not found in my BA in Classical Studies.

It is found in the person I became during my four years at Hillsdale. It is found in the circumspect approach I bring to my radio show every day. It is found in the conversations I have with my friends and colleagues about the things that really matter (and even the things that don't matter at all).

It was in college that I learned to write, think, listen and speak intelligently: all of which of which are vital in both the professional and personal fields. My husband and I first bonded over a love of language and a deep passion for truth that I learned to cultivate at school. Any children we may have will benefit from our mutual drive for excellence and stubborn dedication to our principals. Yes, Mr. Oliver, these are qualities that would exist in me without attending a four year school, but higher education is what grew and cultivated these qualities in me to a place where I could use them well. 

Admittedly college is not for everyone, but I believe those who have the determination to complete a degree are better for it, and assuming a student chooses the right school, it is worth the cost of tuition. 

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Zickels! It’s been a crazy year for us here in the DC area, full of adventures and testaments to God’s faithfulness.  Brian and I started out the year with a few curveballs as we both lost our jobs within two months of each other. Thankfully, I was able to pick up “new” employment back with an old company that was in need of some direction. March was full of excitement with several friends coming to visit and the ever busy week of CPAC. We had a great time catching up with folks and playing tourists for a few days.

We also had the fantastic opportunity to go to Disneyworld with my side of the family and see my sister, Hannah, show off her mad cheerleading skills. Brian and I spent each day exploring a different park and riding every rollercoaster available.

Not long after our return from Florida, Brian and I packed up our little apartment and moved out to Reston to be with Brian’s mom, Bobbie. It’s been a blessing to have a home with a normal sized kitchen and free washing machines for the last eight months and Bobbie has been a great encouragement to both of us since we arrived. 

 

The arrival of summer allowed us to hit the road just before my return to Voice of Russia. Brian and I took a week to visit friends in North Carolina then head over to St. Louis, Nashville, and Chicago just because we could. We rode our bikes down music row in Nashville and made our way to the top of the gateway arch. I’ve attached a few photos here, but you check out the rest on Facebook.

               

 I was able to hit up New York for a conference before we took our second road trip down to New Orleans for a friend’s wedding. Brian has never been to The Big Easy, and I had always wanted to take him there. We spent three days in total and discovered some new favorite venues to add to the list of timeless classics before heading over to Kentucky to spend a rainy Fourth of July with my Dad and his family out in Lexington. We had a great time dodging the rain and squeezing in a few bonfires. We finished off the trip with a stop in Memphis for the best blues and ribs we’ve ever had.

                 

In August, we welcomed the first niece on the Brewster side to the family. Alex and his wife, Marley, delivered a little girl named Lucy. It seemed like the perfect gift in time for our second wedding anniversary. Brian and I spent a glorious weekend at the beach, reading and checking out our favorite restaurants before I flew down over to Seattle to check out the latest addition to the Brewster brood.  We even took a few extra vacation days just because we could! (gasp) It may not have been exactly what we planned, but I'm not sure we could have planned it better anyway.

 

Two weeks later, Brian’s birthday was spent fighting dragons and rescuing damsels at the Maryland Renaissance Festival and dinner at Medieval Times.  

The real highlight of the year for me, came in an unexpected business trip to Morocco. I spent a week traveling and trying new foods. While I had been there before, the extra days gave me an opportunity to really explore. 

Brian and I are wrapping up the year spending the holiday with visiting family. In just three days, Brian will start his new job as an office manager with Fairlington Presbyterian Church which will allow us to ride into work together (permanently, we hope). We will also be spending the New Year’s week with a new adventure of caring for a friend’s horse farm. We are hoping it’s a sign of exciting beginnings yet come. 

Happy New Year and God’s Blessings in 2014!

Brian and Kate

The Perfect Life

I recently discovered a new blog by a friend of a friend from college.

As I perused her impeccable photos and glorious hardwood floors I began to turn green with envy. Everything about this blog pointed out the beauty of Jamie's life. Her home was perfect, her daughter was perfect, her life was perfect.

I wanted that life. I wanted my life to be as easy and perfect as hers looked.

But then I read more. Jamie lost a precious life three years ago when she suffered a miscarriage. Her child never got to meet her big sister or get his picture taken by his talented mommy.

As I read her story, I realized that for all the complaints I have about my dirty carpets and tiny apartment, my early morning commute or my flabby thighs, I have never felt the loss of a child. Comparatively speaking, my life is one big bowl of rainbows and reasons to love unicorns.

Knowing the perfect life will never actually happen may be a disappointment, but that's where God comes in.  The real point is that it doesn't matter. It does not matter how early I get up in the morning or how depressing my efforts may seem some days. What matters is that I get out of bed in the morning and do my best at the things God has given to me to do. If I focus on the prize rather than the hurdles I have to jump to get it, the obstacles seem insignificant.

Thank you, Jamie, for sharing your heart with people who need it. Thank you for letting us witness the healing God has given you, knowing that we can have it too.

Ever since TIME magazine published an article about how great it is not to have kids, women on both sides of the fence have been chipping with their two cents (or twenty dollars, depending on the article).

One of these opeds I found particularly entertaining and borderline offensive. Jill Filipovic began her article attacking conservative women for having the audacity to think children are a blessing and joy to have in the home.

According to Filipovic, having children is selfish and mean because how dare you impose your religion and principles on others?!

At one point, the author even went so far as to compare childrearing with eating sushi or skydiving, just another adventure to try that may not work for everyone. While I agree not everyone is meant to be a parent, I would argue that the decision to raise a child moves beyond deciding where to have dinner on Saturday night. 

Then there's the argument that children don't belong in the world because potential parents might abuse them.

Romanticizing parenthood as beautiful and life-affirming obscures the reality that for many kids, a "parent" is someone who physically hurts them, belittles them, damages them or makes them feel small and worthless. Compulsory parenthood doesn't just limit those of us who are agnostic about having kids or don't want them at all; it breeds resentment and anger toward children, who are ultimately innocent in their parents' decision to bring them into the world.

Again, while I would never deny the existence of child abuse, that is no argument for parents who want children to not have them. While parenthood is often frustrating, painful, and requires sacrifice, it can still be "beautiful and life-affirming" at the same time. That's what parenthood is. It's hard, it sucks, and it's the most rewarding experience a person can have.

And by the way, I would be very curious to hear more about this "compulsory parenthood" that is being forced upon women like Jill. In my opinion, women in the United States are being pushed in the very opposite direction as we push for HPV vaccines on younger and younger girls and tell junior high students they don't need parental consent to get an abortion. 

On a side note, I have to ask: where are the men in these conversations? No one (on either side of the issue) has directly addressed the idea that the men in these relationships might have an opinion. Personally, my husband and I have made every decision of our marriage together, including the decision to put off having kids. 

To me, this is such a very vital part of the equation. Obviously, we women need our man's consent to carry his offspring, but more than that, we need a partner to share the load. 

No lies here. Kids are hard work. The long nights, the diapers, and the play dates all take their toll. At some point or another, you are guaranteed to look like a zombie with a killer hangover. This is where husbands are so useful. You made a human being together, so the responsibility of training up that being in the way he should go is yours together. Even just the responsibility of making sure Jr. lives through the terrible twos can be a nightmare, but at least you don't have to go it alone. 

Beyond the sanity of mommies, children need their fathers. Study after study has argued the importance of both parents in lives of their children. Kids with two parents inevitably do better in school than those with single moms and dads. Those same kids also miss out on important emotional and psychological opportunities. The instability and inconsistency that follows divorce or other instances of single parenthood can often result in trauma for children (especially younger kids). 

 This doesn't mean everyone should just stop having kids (like this guy), rather we should step up to the plate and take responsibility for well being and growth of our children. I don't have children right now, but I grew up in a family of seven, and I understand the importance of a stable environment. While many question my parents' choice to have so many children and there are days keeping them all in line is tough, I know my parents love us and consider us a huge blessing. 

Miss Filipovic may have been well intentioned in calling parents who choose to have large families selfish, but in my opinion, choosing to bring a life into the world and raise that child to adulthood is perhaps the least selfish thing a person can do. Parents are daily (and even hourly) laying down their lives for their children.

I would agree with Filipovic that "making choices that center on our own needs and desires isn't selfish. It's radical. It's transformational." ...............until you're about 18. 

Right about then, the world somehow ceases to revolve around what you want and starts telling you to grow up. If you're lucky, this process starts much sooner.

Miss Filipovic, I will not judge you for choosing to remain childless, especially here in America, that choice is up to you. But do me a favor and don't make the mistake of thinking everyone with more than one kid hates you for being different.
 

YouTube Friday!

Happy YouTube Friday! I present to you now the cutest little love story to take place on the New York subway.

And if you thought that was adorable, check out Disney's "Paperman". If you're anything like me or Hannah Wegmann, I guarantee you'll cry.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Here in DC, we are  loving the fall weather!

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies."

And so begins one of the most adorable rom-coms in the history or teary eyed women. The leaves are starting turn here in DC and the weather is definitely getting colder.

I actually pulled my sweaters from the back of the closet this morning and as usual couldn't decide what matched with my jeans (jeans!).

 I'm once again enjoying the seemingly eternal joy of pumpkin flavored everything and all the colors that go with changing seasons. Fall always reminds why I love Washington. It's the one place that genuinely delivers all four seasons.

I'm looking forward to spending my afternoons curled up with good books and mugs of tea. My years long knitting project has fallen woefully behind and I'm hoping to make some actual progress on said quilt before Christmas.

And the books, oh god, the books! Brian and I have started reading out loud and night, and let me tell you, it's wonderful. There is nothing better than a good book unless the man you love is reading it to you. If we ever get around to having kids, reading will be a regular part of the bedtime routine.

But as the summer winds down and I mourn the loss of my pool side lounger and the tan that came with it, I'm looking forward to warm cozy nights by the fireplace and the fragrant aroma of spicy baked goods coming from my kitchen.

It's YouTube Friday!

Walter White and Jessie Pinkman are back! Next week, we start the final eight episodes, and I am psyched! In the meantime, check out a very creative recap of previous seasons.