On the iPod

This morning while I walked I listened to this program. (Here's a post about some of my other favorite episodes of Speaking of Faith.) It's an interesting discussion of the dichotomy in American culture between practical experience and "book learning" and the way vocational and non-college-bound students can be marginalized in school. Mike Rose, the interviewee, has reflected deeply on the intelligence required for manual labor, and he talks about his mother, who was a waitress and considered that extremely meaningful work. I found this fascinating as a teacher and as a former waitress. I wasn't good at it, like Mike Rose's mother was, but the experience made me a proponent of generous tipping.