I often read discussions of education that have an unreal quality to them, a point hammered home by recent experience. Let me share it so you can get a sense of the realities of education.

Social networking sites are on the rise, along with online dating, bridging the gap between the two. If I spend all my free time connected, via the web, cell phone, facebook, then there is no reason why I should not miss a beat in the rat race of life. Yet, I am isolated from human touch & emotion. A substitute for face to face interaction? Yes. A healthy resolve? No. The scientists say that technology has done so much for mankind, true, just look around. Without sewer systems, New York City would be a modern 16th century porta-potty, waste strewn everywhere.

It is frustrating watching your friends go down in flames. They choose a life path and they make choices that affect whether the result is good or bad. I can only do so much as a friend. I can give a helping hand. I can give strong words of advice. But I cannot make the right choice for them. I know what it was like. I pulled away from my closest friends because I did not want them to see me drown.