I’m Homeschooled, Not Unkultur#d | guest post by Owen G.

Hi friends!

I’ve got a special treat for you! One of my friends has graciously agreed to do a guest post. He runs a Youtube channel, raises little dinos (his chickens), and. . .well, I’m going to let him introduce himself.

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Hi, I’m Owen Godbold, number five of eight children. I’ve been homeschooled K-12 (I graduate in May!) and will be doing an internship on a stewardship farm literally 2 weeks after I graduate. I’m excited to graduate this May and hope to pursue a double major liberal arts in college, wherever I end up. Right now, I enjoy writing, reading, procrastinating on my AP classes, vlogging, swing dancing, working with my chickens, and bemoaning the existence of my idiot hound dog.

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I’ve been homeschooled my whole life. If the first question I get isn’t “How do you socialize?” it is generally “do you have any friends?” Beyond the simple Neanderthal workings of the modern American mind (What? There can be an alternative to public schooling? No way…), I hear “Oh, he’s homeschooled, he won’t get this reference.” Not unfairly, either, I don’t get Fortnite or any other video game references, but I fail to see what I’m missing in such recreation activities. Spending time shooting pixels on a screen is yawn-inducing for me: I’d rather utilize the organ inside my skull through reading, swing dancing on Friday nights, or board games with family and friends.

I do watch movies and sometimes people can’t get me to shut up with one-liners from The Incredibles, Megamind, various Marvel movies, The Princess Bride, or any other classic out there. I confess I have not seen the Lion King, (I’m sorry, I’m sorry) but that won’t stop me from spontaneously yelling, “the circle of life” until my voice breaks from the strain. I also listen to music, and that helps me explore different genres and appreciate good music.

My sneaky side enjoys being well versed in the names of famous pop artists while also having semi-clever replies to certain questions. Public schooler, “What music do you listen to?” Me: “Oh, you know, I love Billie Eyelash and Justin Beaver. And a little Britney Beers. I don’t pass up any Fred Sheeran or Tyler Swift, either.” For the “how do you socialize?” question, a friend of mine (whom I just saw over New Years) once told me to reply, “but the voices in my head are really friendly.”

Besides messing with people, being homeschooled gives me so many options! I can explore many different projects I would otherwise skip over. I started a backyard chicken project in 2016, got interested in permaculture and Joel Salatin farming around the same time, and now have an internship lined up over the summer (7 months total) where I’ll be working 50+ hours a week. Last year I even started a Youtube channel on having said chickens and other random farming information. Inside the house, my love of literature (both ancient and modern, both fiction and nonfiction) has officially spanned for 12 years and has encouraged me to get a more liberal arts education later on in life, while my interest in physics keeps me wondering about it as a potential minor.

I love to debate on almost every topic (…politics *sighs*), and want to do something similar in college, as well. Honestly, I can’t imagine not being homeschooled. I wouldn’t be as fully rounded as a student, person, or Christian. My love for my family and my relationship with my parents would be weak and watery in comparison if I went to a public or private school. Homeschooling has helped me appreciate good scheduling and intelligent conversation. Homeschooling has kept me well rounded, yet not full “cultured”. I don’t feel like I’m missing much as I turn up my Shawn Windex.

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I felt that his post was very pertinent to my own life. I find myself being asked whether I have any friends or how I socialize when people realize that I’m homeschooled.

Many thanks to Owen! Be sure to check out his youtube channel, the Virginia Farmer Wannabe.

Does this ever happen to you? Let’s start a conversation in the comments! Be sure to leave a question on my previous post!