Forcole, fonts and musings on the sharing of knowledge...

There are so many things to appreciate about Italian culture. There's food, for one. Italy is the birthplace of the Renaissance and countless other arts. Right now though, I am having a whole other appreciation for something culturally inherent in this country, and that is the sharing of knowledge with young people.

In the United States, I feel we tend to think of education in mainly an institutional sense... That education is the domain of the "School" (whether that is brick-and-mortar, or another form) as opposed to the domain of the family or the community at large. This isn't a slight against schools - I'm just talking about the attitude towards education and how it's changed in the last couple of generations. A kid in the 50's could still go to school, but also might spend time at his neighbour's house looking at his stamp collection, or learn about the moon or stars from an uncle who loved astronomy. Now kids "check in" to school in the morning, and "check out" in the afternoon. Even while homeschooling it is tempting to do this, keep your education nicely squared away, so you can check it off when it's "done."

I live in a great place in the US today where there are lots of opportunities for kids to learn. My kids take lots of great classes. I just feel like I'm seeing something here that is more organic. People here see children and immediately want to show them things, teach them a little something about their profession, their craft. We've seen paper marbling and dress-making in Florence. In Venice we went to a workshop to see how they make the forcole (for-co-lay) which is the oar lock for gondolas - an art that incorporates math, physics, artistry and technique.

We stopped and peeked our heads in at a printer's shop because of some lovely prints in the window and were invited back to see the press, all the tiles and the project he is currently working on.








































This act of sharing is a truly lovely experience to behold. An older person, who feels valuable and proud; and a young person who feels important, and noticed, and excited by what they are learning about the world. These connections are so valuable and so memorable. They have made this trip to Italy something special.

So, it's got me thinking - again, as so often I say to myself while traveling - how can I bring this element of life here home with me? I believe that I am lucky to be surrounded with lots of caring adults and resources for learning. I guess I am looking for something more organic... experiences that have the ring of mentorship and community, of exposing children to different career paths or hobbies. I want the passion of the sharer to come through like it does here, and show our kids what it is like to spend your life doing something you love. An experience where the connection is as important as the content. Do people have passion like that for IT? Or factory-made clothing? Is this a tall order?

While dreaming, I can affect my own circle of influence. I really want to learn to slow down and see the other children in our lives, and consider what I can share with them... I have friends who are good at this, I'm going to try to be more like them. Lots to think about in the coming weeks.

Next time: gondolas and Carnivale!