A Book, Maybe?

I've been thinking about writing a book.

Actually, several. :-)

But the one most relevant to this blog would be a book about unschooling.

It's an interesting idea for a project.

There are already books about unschooling, and it isn't really possible to learn how to be an unschooler from reading a book, so if I'm going to write one, I need to have a clear idea of WHY. What would be the purpose of the book? How would it be different from anything anyone else out there is saying or writing about? Why would anyone want it?

One idea is to take a bunch of stuff I've already written- because there IS a bunch of stuff I've already written!- and put it into a book format somehow.

Although that might save writing time, I'm not convinced that it would make a cohesive whole, and using only things that people may have read before feels a little bit like cheating, somehow.

I've played around with a couple of different outlines, with a different focus.

Haven't really found what feels right yet, though.

Of course, I'd love to illustrate it, as well… but it's not a subject that fits particularly well with most of the photography I do, so there would be a learning curve there, as well. That might be half the fun- or a huge time sink. Or both.

I don't want to end up with such complex plans and ideas that it never happens.

At the same time, I don't want to rush it just to get it done.

Right now, today, I think my focus is likely to be this:

Unschooling, for life.

It's not a "revolution," it isn't an "educational method," and it isn't something only appropriate for any certain subgroup of people.

It's a way of looking at learning, relationships, and life that encourages and supports each person's individual strengths and interests, in community with each other.

Although some people say that a person is only "unschooling" if they would otherwise be of an age to be schooling, I disagree. I believe this way of being, of connecting, and of moving through life, starts earlier and continues far beyond "school age." It is somewhat unfortunate that we've ended up with the word "unschooling," because of its obvious counterpoint to school, when really, it's about much more than "not school."

I believe that adults who are living an unschooling life, whatever they want to call it, for themselves, are likely to be far more comfortable living it WITH CHILDREN, than are those who have never experienced or been aware of living and learning this way.

Why now?

I have a feeling it's not going to be too much longer before I have grandkids.

And while my own kids have been unschoolers their whole lives, their partners either don't, or are unlikely to, have that same background and understanding.

Their partner's extended family will also be unlikely to understand this, and as many of us know, pressure from family who don't understand can be very challenging in the early years.

I'd like to create a resource that would be helpful for a wide variety of people, not only those with school-aged kids.