http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/09/14/daily-prompt-bookworm/

Grab the nearest book. Open it and go to the tenth word. Do a Google Image Search of the word. Write about what the image brings to mind. Photographers, artists, poets: show us BOOKS.

I find it rather telling that the nearest book happened to be my latest textbook – Technical Communication, Thirteenth Ed. By John M. Lannon and Laura J. Gurak.  This is the book for my last English class in my Associate’s degree program. I opened the book, and the first page is a list of documents and forms. The tenth word on the page is “Technical”.

A Google Image Search of the word “technical” brings up several images, and this one jumped out at me:

The word technical and the image of the keyboard both speak to me of schooling, knowledge and education.  Technical means “of, involving, or concerned with applied and industrial sciences”.

I have been studying computers, computer programs, languages, interactive media design, coding, web pages and structure for the last three years.  I am a scholar or one who studies at a school or a college.  I am a scholar.  That sounds good, doesn’t it?  It took me 33 years to get around to getting my college degree.

Why did I wait so long?  I was scared at first.  I was extremely shy and afraid to try college.  Then I didn’t think I needed a degree because I was able to get a job without one.  I got an entry level clerk-typist job and progressed along the secretarial path. Then I thought I’d waited too long and it didn’t make sense to even bother going after a degree.  Who needed a piece of paper to say I was smart?

I was foolish.  It’s never too late to learn. I am so glad I decided to give college a try.  Online education has been one of the best things to happen to me.  Not only have I broadened my horizons, I stretched my mind and I did wonders for my self-esteem and confidence.  Not only did I learn a lot about “technical”; I learned a lot about ME.

Books don’t always have to be about a good story, a mystery or a romance.  Books can educate.

Image from wvswrite.com