My father is the greatest mechanical engineer in the Northern hemisphere. At 72 years of age, that is up for debate however, this lesson he taught me is not.
On a recent trip home, our vehicle broke down. Four experienced drivers, we were, and yet, all our efforts to diagnose the problem came out futile. Two hours into our ordeal, we agreed to enlist 3rd party expertise. We sent for the only individual we could agree upon; our Dad. British trained, with over forty years of experience and at close to no charge, there was no better candidate for the task at hand. Not in this part of the world.
Pap arrived clad in his overalls and armed with a miniature tool box. Without much courtesies exchanged, he went straight for the bonnet, commanding each of us to their own task, as if to buy himself space. From the distance, I watched anxiously as he fidgeted about the contents of bonnet. Ignite! He belched, pointing to the one in the driver's seat, and at the first try, the vehicle resuscitated back to life. This all lasted less than five minutes after his arrival. Noticing the perplexion on our faces, he observed with a smirk.
“With your experience, you can drive around the world, but you can't fix the slightest of problems on your vehicle. You are experienced drivers, but you are not educated drivers.”
No matter how good you are, a time comes, when the challenges you face are of a different nature to those you are experienced at solving. Just like fuel getting used up each mile of the journey, your experience, knowledge and reputation will run out with the changing times. To keep up, individuals and organizations need to upgrade their mental/human infrastructure on a regular basis, at least in their particular industries, professions and/or occupations. Those that don’t, risk fading away with the sands of time. Ignore Education at your own peril.
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