There are so many things we as Americans take for granted, and I really think the only way we will realize the extent of our blessings is for them to be taken from us.  For example, how many American children, even high school and college students, truly appreciate the fact that we are taught to read and have the opportunity to go to college?  Think about the children in other countries who do not have the opportunity to go to school because they have to work to help their families put food on the table.  Think about the kids who are deprived of the ability to read because the government is so controlling that they go as far as forbidding books in the hands of the citizens.  And even so, the small bit of education they may pick up along the way is so precious to them that they cherish it and crave more.  Why is it we dread going to school each day because it cuts into our precious sleep and social time?  We can go every day Monday through Friday, and we hate it.  Other people may never set foot in a classroom, and they desire to get ahold of any bit of knowledge they can get their hands on.  We shove all the information we need for the next exam in our heads the night before only to lose it all as we walk out the door.  We actually have laws in place that prohibit truancy, and yet our education means nothing to us.  This is all because we don't value the time we spend "learning."  It's all about getting the grade or moving forward in school.  It's not about gaining knowledge.  We should take lessons from those less fortunate than ourselves and make the most of every opportunity to improve our minds.  It is only then that we can actually learn.

"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow."
~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book