Today is back to school for a lot of kids. The Thanksgiving holiday is over, and the learning routine resumes of "readin, writin', and 'rithmetic". Funny to even write that old phrase. Learning topics today are far different from that time-worn trio. Classrooms look different as well. No chalkboards in my granddaughter's school. They have "smart boards", connected to the teacher's computer. The kids all have iPads. Chairs and tables are different than these rough hewn desks from a hundred years ago in a remote school building in Great Smoky National Park. The environment has changed.

Each morning as my children left home for school, I encouraged them to "Learn something." I knew they probably would. Few days in our life go by without learning something. It is as much a part of my life as breathing. I hope it is a habit that is passed to all generations in all parts of the world.