What makes a person smart?

Working in higher education, I often get these urges to go back to school and finish my college education. Sometimes, being around all of the professors that I work with makes me feel somewhat uneducated and uncultured. I've taken some really great college classes and have really enjoyed them. But it would take me ten years to finish my degree...just taking one class each semester...working full-time. I could probably work it out that I could take about nine hours per semester but that would take some cooperation from my family...which I don't really have. Then I wonder about my own dedication. Thus...I still don't have my college degree.

Sometimes, I think I want get my BA in English and go on to get my Master's in English with a concentration in Folklife/Southern Culture. (I'm not quite sure what I'd do with those degrees. But anyhoo.)

Or do I? (Let me warn you...I'm flipping back and forth here.) Maybe what I really want to be is just to be smart. To sound smart in conversation. To travel, to be well-read, and to be "educated." But really now...how often does a debate on the importance of the 10th Amendment come up in my daily conversation? I mean...if it does and I want to develop an opinion...I can research it. Right? I mean...yeah, it would be nice to know things off the top of my head...but wouldn't the ability to cook a healthy, gourmet meal serve me better? Or maybe being able to take a great digital photo? What about being able to write creatively and humorously?

I guess what I'm wondering is what makes a person smart? Is it a college degree or a collection of college degrees? I'm not knocking anyone who has them...please don't get me wrong. I'm just trying to figure out my own values and priorities here. I'm trying to determine the importance of that degree...versus just taking some personal enrichment classes for things that I want to learn (like cooking, photography and humor writing).

The important things in my life right now are putting a good meal on the table (which as yall know...because of my finicky family, I struggle with this), taking good pictures of my kid, and trying to find something funny in everyday life to write about in my blog. So is studying Shakespeare and World Civilization really necessary? At least, right now?

Ugh. I'm thinking I'm going to sign up for that cooking class. (After reading over this post, I'm thinking the humor writing class would serve me a little better.) Wake up! I'm still talking to yall!

Okay...I'm finished now. Go back to sleep.