I read your articles religiously, but this one struck me more than most. I'm 73 but I'm still doing what I have done my whole life, namely, pursue what looks interesting to me. Lately, I've come to doubt myself: why am I on this planet if all I'm doing is collecting new experiences and knowledge? Who is being served? For some reason, your article enlivens me a bit.

Also, I taught for 9 years in two schools which saw their job as teaching kids to learn, stoking their curiosity, rather than practical training. The kids (and the teachers) loved this approach. There were of course a few parents who were all about the Ivy League and some teachers who felt challenged by the way we taught, but the kids loved it and benefitted from it.