Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Mike Smith:
Abraham Lincoln was a farmer, clerk, surveyor, soldier, lawyer, congressman, and president. He was a clear writer and convincing speaker. Yet he learned little of this in school. “I could read, write, and cipher to the Rule of Three,” he once said of his deficient education. “The little advance I now have upon this store of education, I have picked up from time to time under the pressure of necessity.”

One of the things Lincoln “picked up” was surveying. In his early 20s, he took a job as a surveyor, even though he had no experience or training in this field.

He obtained two books on surveying, then spent six weeks—night and day—studying. With the help of a friend and schoolteacher named Mentor Graham, Lincoln learned decimal fractions, how to use mathematical instruments, and how to change the scale of maps. This intense preparation proved successful, and he became known as an accurate surveyor who could be called upon to settle boundary disputes.

Lincoln “picked up” his education in other ways. He offered to write letters for friends. As he carefully chose words that would best express what the letter writer wanted to say, he honed his own skills.

Lincoln understood that knowledge for the sake of knowledge quickly becomes meaningless. But knowledge with a purpose can inspire and delight us.

And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.