My dog and I surprised a wild rabbit this morning on our pre-dawn walk. As we got close to a small flower bed, I saw a white cotton ball go bounding into the street
.
As the bunny rocketed down the hill towards safety the phrase quick as a bunny came to mind. That creature sensed danger,
choose an escape angle and went for it with lightning speed.
While I searched the morning grey for another glimpse of the white tail, I thought about the power of experience. Before this morning, the phrase Quick as a Bunny had a vague, foggy place in my lexicon. After this encounter, I have a vivid visual to tie to it.
How important then is it to provide actual experiences for our children rather than simply educating them? A simple 30 second encounter this morning informed my understanding in a way that 30 minutes of talking about rabbits never could. Even reading about them wouldnt bring this level of comprehension. (Gasp!) I admit it, the knowledge we get from the spoken or written word is qualitatively different from the knowledge we get from experience. In a perfect world, the three tangle together creating a strong web of knowing.
What new things will you experience this weekend?