Sunday’s Inspiration: “Damn My Education, I can’t find the words to say”

This dose of Sunday’s Inspiration is one for the Mums and Dads, possibly. I’ve been longing for chances to preach to people about how education is not the be all and end all of your lives. Sure, it’s nice to be a bit intelligent, or at least fake a bit of intelligence in the form of “having a degree”. But it’s my belief that we get our intelligence and wisdom from real life experiences. You can read all you want in a library but until you get out there and see the world, you know nothing. It was very sweet for me to be featured in the Alumni Magazine of Bournemouth University recently. I’m in their latest addition preaching about something I thought they wouldn’t print. Not only did they print it, but it’s the final bit of icing on the cake for me and the degree I got a few years back. I studied Public Relations in Bournemouth.

I can honestly say that I have gained a lot more benefit in life from working than from studying. I learnt way more about working on a farm from actually working on a farm than I did from reading about farms or crops. Same goes for journalism. I studied journalism in my teenage years but yet when I started my own football magazine and started writing for publications, it was only then I learned what the job was all about. I’m not completely knocking education here, I’m just putting my spin on it.

As a student, I was more concerned about working and using the money from that to live the life I want. I travelled all over the UK and Europe while still officially a student, all because I preferred to work in a paid job than spend wasted hours in the library. Words of wisdom from a guitarist called Noel Gallagher yet again…

“Damn my education, I can’t find the words to say with all the things caught in my mind” – Noel Gallagher.

So you’re saying education is pointless, Jonny?

No, today I’m simply stating:

“Libraries gave us power, then work came and made us free” – Manic Street Preachers.

I believe that working hard brings you the freedom to live the life you want. Can you believe that I haven’t really ever been tied down by a company? It’s true! I’m 33 and I’ve been employed for the entirety of the last 15 years – working constantly but yet never feeling “owned” by my employers. In fact, it was only at University in Bournemouth that I thought the guys running the degree were a bit too strict on the students. I certainly wasn’t there to sit for hours reading books that weren’t relevant to my life. I started a degree, I worked at it for the time I allowed myself to, I lived the lifestyle I wanted away from all that and I’ve now built a lifestyle of travel from the real life experiences I’ve had.

Don’t Stop Living as a travel lifestyle blog has given me a platform to preach to travellers, backpackers and students the world over. Through this blog, I’ve also had more freedom.

Thanks for the memories, Bournemouth University and for publishing my interview – I’m truly honoured to be featured in there putting a different spin on things.

On a final note, I’m not saying f#ck your education, I’m just saying don’t turn it into your lifestyle. I never stressed once about an “assignment deadline”. If I had a priority the night before a due date, it may well have been going out with mates or working in a hotel. Get your priorities the way you want them.

Don’t be controlled, be in control.

It is still, for the most part, a free world my friends…

I am busting to write more stuff about my beliefs on working and studying in future posts in this series so look out for them. For those interested in reading my piece in the Bournemouth University Annual Alumni Magazine, an online version is also available by clicking here. (I’m on page 20 something)

And last but not least a big shout out to all the cool people I met in Bournemouth, both through work, university, around town, the Cherries and my many side projects.

Up the Cherries 😉