Dear Meorah:
Many people may be scared to try without a obvious visible available safety net.
I wish more people would have the courage to try at least. I truly appreciate persons who have grown up in complete squalor esp. in cities, or rural isolation with little or limited access to educational resources, but have been blessed with or taught or both, unshakeable personal conviction and belief in themselves to succeed despite their circumstances. For these people I think they create their own internal safety net and keep striving, making good use of any and all opportunity and finding perhaps even one teacher who positively supports or encourages them to believe in themselves and/or reinforces their own belief in themselves to realistically make their dreams and goals come true. I am really very impressed by these individuals. I kind of relate and identify with this strength. This strength is what I greatly admire. I think that people in Mill towns etc. ought to get the opportunity to learn and be challenged beyond just being conditioned to work in the mills. Maybe some of these mill town persons, with elevated education may become architects instead of mill workers. Today, perhaps with the internet and financial aid, with ROTC programs, vocational programs, journeymen programs, trade career apprenticeships etc. even the military opportunities available, persons, even in small mill towns, can improve their education and skills and expand their opportunities in life for work/career etc. Nothing is set in stone, and Mill towns and mill jobs are disappearing right and left. Mill town, mill working people are going to increasing need to learn other work/career skills as are people in many other areas of industry. People need to stop being scared and start generating safety nets and opportunities instead of limiting stagnating stuck small minded even close minded attitudes and decisions. Our jobs are disappearing in many industry's, going over seas and being taken over by machines. What do you make of this?
P.S.- From reading another posting of yours regarding you're becoming a 6th grade teacher, I think you'll make a wonderful teacher, with your ideas of challenging students, and the ways you have of relating to them, understanding and helping them. I agree with everything you had to say about teaching kids.
Shaunasi