Self Education

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I have always enjoyed learning. Growing up, there was rarely a moment that I did not have a book in my hand. I would read the ingredients and nutrition information on boxes of mixes, cereal and so on. On visits to my grandmother's house, my mom always found me in the library, reading teacher's manuals, encyclopedias and dictionaries. Fellow students used to call me the Walking Dictionary or Encyclopedia. President Abraham Lincoln was noted for being self educated. He walked miles to the nearest library to borrow books and read them by the fireplace, candle light or oil lamp, before electricity was commonplace. He even studied law on his own and did quite well at it. He's one of my favorite historical and political figures. Sometimes I just want to continue my education on certain topics without pursuing a degree. That's where self education via the web comes in. Once I'm clear on how to search for what I want to know, it's easy to find free articles, videos and e-books on just about any subject. Once I've read or watched the information I can review it if I need to, then turn around and put the knowledge into practice. Over time, I can learn enough about something that people begin coming to me with questions. That's happened with digital publishing, grant writing, social media marketing and other things. And all I did was read and practice the skills, just like Abraham Lincoln.