In my local Asian market, I saw this sign hanging above the freezer section. It reads “Frozen foods can prevent the decay and deterioration in the oven.” The concept is mostly there, but the key details were lost in translation.
We preserve the things we want to keep. Preservation makes the transient last a little longer. Preservation is the fleeting interval between freshness and storage. Preservation allows it to be enjoyed again in the future.
There are many things we want to preserve as homeschoolers. We want to preserve our enthusiasm, our happiness, our satisfaction, our delight. We want to preserve the benefits of our learning. We want to preserve our friendships. We want to preserve our energy and resources. We want to preserve our memories. For all of these, we want to “prevent the decay and deterioration in the oven.”
We can preserve it with voice. We can preserve it with writing. We can preserve it with documentation. Cradled by the record we make ourselves, our memories will be buffered, becoming impervious to fluctuating moods or motivation.
If a forgetful homeschooler is like a sieve, then one who remembers is like a thermoflask: insulated and able to retain. Retention of memory is what will shape our identity and our homeschool.
