I am delighted to feature today’s interview!  I personally find Mr. Daniel Sanders to be far from “normal!”  I think that he is quite an extraordinary young man.  He is intelligent, witty, a tremendous role model and friend, and quite humble.  I have so enjoyed the privilege of knowing Daniel and his family.  His mom and dad host a weekly youth gathering in their home for scholar age youth, and don’t even have family members that participate!  They are an incredibly visionary family that definitely moves the cause of liberty and I thank all of them today!  We need more people like the Sanders in this world…no doubt about it!  XO, TommyMom

Hola, Daniel!

Hi, Mrs. Helms.

We finally connect!  What’s up?

Um, not much, really.  I’m sitting here on my bed!

How’s school going?

It’s going great so far!  I love all of my classes and I’m having a really good time.  So far, I’ve been involved in two simulations here and I have already gained some insights into things that I wouldn’t have considered just reading an article or a book.

You’re at BYU, Provo, correct?

Yes, I am.

May I inquire as to why you chose to go there?

Yes.  I’m not exactly sure what I want to do for a major and this is a good school to attend for this type of contemplation.  I like being around people of my own faith, and while not everyone here is, the majority are.

That’s great.  Do you have any idea as to what you are possibly going to pursue?

I’m hoping to get into the music program here.  I have auditioned and they said that I am on the wait list because of my high level of performance.

Daniel, your recital was nothing short of amazing!  You should’ve considered charging all of us to attend!  It was beautiful.

Thanks, Mrs. Helms.

The amount of work that went into that celebration is mind boggling, and I always appreciate what a tremendously humble young man you are.  You are a great role model and never “toot your own horn.”  It’s very refreshing.  I’m proud to know you. In addition to all of these overly mushy accolades, it is a HUGE plus in my book that you are funny to boot!

You grew up in a Leadership Education environment, and there are a LOT of people that read TommyMom that would love to know that Leadership Education really works!  I’ve had requests to have Sons #1 and #2 write a post…

I think I’ll start with you instead…scary stuff!

(Laughs at the above statement…a little too energetically, I might add!)  How ARE the guys?  I really really miss them.

I would be lying if I didn’t confess that your name comes up quite often, generally accompanied by bouts of hysterical laughter!

They really do miss having you around, Mr. Sanders.  Now back to the question at hand, please.

Will you please tell them hello? ( Yes.)

I think that there are a couple of things that come to mind regarding a Leadership Education home…

The first would definitely be the freedom of scheduling; which is very helpful for me.  I’m not sure I would’ve been able to go as far as I have with my music because I might have been “too busy” if it had been an “additional” piece of my day, rather than a natural part of it.

I have to constantly strive for balance, due to some health challenges that I have faced for quite some time.  Busy work doesn’t always allow for that, but Leadership Education allows for adjustment when necessary based on the individual and what they can handle and prioritize. For example, if I needed more time with Math, I took it.  English may need to be looked at tomorrow.  I have always tried to look at what I HAD done.  Sometimes you’re having an emotionally tough or mentally challenging day and it’s nice to adjust so that learning can be maximized.

What do you see as one of the biggest “myths” where home education is concerned?

When I’ve met people in different social settings, it is always humorous to hear that they think that I’m “normal!”  I consider myself to be a pretty social individual and I laugh when people bring up the perceived lack of social skills associated with home education.  I honestly think that in many cases, our social skills tend to be better!  We’re not spending all day with one age group.  We have to be diverse and work within every possible age range in order to get things done.  For me, this has made it a lot easier to relate to and converse with most anyone.

What would you say you’ve appreciated most about your Dad and Mom where Leadership Education has been concerned?

I have appreciated my Mom and Dad’s support, understanding and willingness to personalize my education.

When I saw things that I thought that I was interested in, they would always try to help me pursue them by doing the necessary research and providing materials, skills, etc.

You are the youngest in your family.  What did you glean by observing your siblings?

Well, my mom expected a lot from the older siblings.  There were many things that we all did together as activities; but then I was secure in the fact that I could see what the next step in my educational process looked like and what would be expected of me as an individual when I reached a particular age.

Can you name three of your all time favorite classics for me?

Oh man!  Do you mean books?

I mean classics.  In literature, music, art, whatever you would like.  Deep breaths..this is not a test, it is an interview.

Okay, this is really, really, tough, but I’m going to go with Ender’s Game as a book choice, Rochmananov’s Prelude in C# minor, and…The Book of Mormon.

Is this your final answer?  If you’re stuck on an island with these three things, you’re good?

Yes, I’m good.

He wasn’t, really.  He later e-mailed me, asking to “be the exception” and add ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens’ to this grouping.  I told him I have the power to change all on this blog, to which he replied, ‘You have ALL POWER.  I’ve known that for awhile now.’

See why I am especially fond of this kid?!?

In thinking about it some more, I think that ‘The Seven Habits for Teens’ is a simple ‘how to’ in applying principles that make you effective and it’s a really easy and pleasurable read, very entertaining.

Can you name for me, mentors outside of your immediate family that have had a real impact on you?

Well, several come to mind.  Angela Ward, definitely.

She’s very inspiring and so enthusiastic!  She takes raw talent and can refine that ability; showing me how to figure things out for myself as they apply to Shakespeare.  Doing this and learning this skill, helped me to figure out a lot of other things.

There’s my piano teacher, Susan Jackson.  She has also been very inspiring and has shown me the joy of piano musicianship; whether it be through pushing through and learning some classic pieces or messing around on blue’s scales.  It’s all fun and it’s all good!

And then there’s Pun.  That’s not his actual name, but I met him at a camp for kids with serious or life threatening illness, called the Painted Turtle.  He volunteers regularly at the camp and works with the younger kids.  Everyone loves him.  He brings magic elements to camp in the form of card tricks, things up his sleeve, etc.  He is virtually non-stop with the ability to come up with these great puns. His brain naturally comes up with things that others wouldn’t.

His servant leadership and heart are amazing; in that he chooses to give of his time and talents to others, in order to give them joy and happiness.  He does this with excellence, regardless of the age bracket that he is working with.  He makes everyone smile.

That’s beautiful, Daniel.

What are some of the things that you think you struggle with as a student and young man?

I struggle with being able to work with efficiency.  I feel that it takes me longer to really “get” things sometimes.  I remember when I was taking Calculus last year.  I was spending hours in the math lab.  It wasn’t just about understanding the material.  It was working for speed as well.  Sometimes I feel that this entails me working a little harder in order to keep up.  When I get it, I get it, but sometimes it takes a little longer to get there!

Any idea what your life mission is?  I’m referring to right now, based on your life experiences thus far; your gifts, your talents, even your weakesses?

That, Mrs. Helms, is a fabulous question!  It’s what I’m struggling with somewhat right now.  It is the process of actually figuring and finding that out.  This whole music thing is looking 50/50 right now about acceptance and what not; so it has forced me to look at other things.  I’ve looked into Math, the Sciences, and possibly teaching.  I think that that lifestyle would suit me.  I’m in a real self-discovery stage, being away from my parents and all, for an extended period of time.  ( Well, more than, say, a couple of weeks!)  I’m facing tough decisions and preparing to serve my mission for my church.

Do you have a principle or a philosophy that goes with your personal “make up” that you espouse to?

Yep! You always have a choice.  I laugh when I hear people react to situations and become a victim by choice.  It reminds me of a quote by Richard Bach:’Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours!’

And I’ve had to do that with myself.  I have to check myself and kind of evaluate what I’m doing.  Am I unhappy or can I make a choice?  As soon as I evaluate that, I can change my perspective.  Just being able to decide, regardless of what may be happening, that I’m going to “do this.”  Once any one of us makes that decision, the capacity has increased exponentially.  Often, I have to change my approach or thought process to something so that I’m no longer the victim.  If I say it’s hard, I’m a victim.  If I say that it’s challenging, then I’m in control of the situation to overcome whatever that obstacle is and conquer!

Well, guess what, my friend?  You’ve definitely passed for today!

I did?

Sweet!

The pleasure, my dear, is certainly mine. I’m feeling pretty confident about the fact that the future is in so many stellar young people’s hands.

This has been fun, Mrs. Helms.  Thank you.

I certainly plan, for the sake of encouraging all of you TommyMoms at home; to keep these scholar interviews going.  Because, let’s face it…

these kids aren’t normal…

They’re extraordinary.

Until Wednesday…

In an effort to continue to challenge and inform, today TommyMom brings you an interview with yet another paradox…

Symbria Patterson. I first met Symbria and her husband, Lynn at a seminar in Cedar City, Utah at George Wythe.  She was memorable from the start!

The Pattersons are wonderful people that possess more talent under one roof than should be allowed!  There is pretty much nothing in the spectrum of needs or wants that these two can’t cover!

Tune in now, as we continue to consider different individuals that understand the paradox that exists in our society today.

I called their home yesterday afternoon…

within 3 minutes of when I had said that I would.

My, my, aren’t YOU Miss Punctual!

Hey, Symbria.  You need to relax…

this is going to be fun.

Yeah, well, let’s hope that I don’t regret this!

You are kidding me, right?  You are the perfect person to be interviewed and profiled!

Okay, okay…you talked me into it, so let’s get started …

Were you born and raised in Southern California?

I certainly was.  I lived there my entire life, until we moved here to Cedar City.

Any difficult adjustments?

Well, it can be a bummer to not have a Trader Joe’s around the corner; and the drastic downsizing of population was a bit of a shock!  We moved from an area with 6,000,000 people living in it to a town of 27,000!

I really wanted you to explain your upbringing, so that people can experience yet another individual that understands both urban and rural living.

I appreciate that.  Seriously.  There is such a void in society today and it’s so important for people wanting statesmanship in their lives to understand.  Farming communities being ignorant of city dwellers and vice-versa is a real concern.  As recently as 50 years ago, people dwelling in cities knew that they needed farmers, and farmers knew that they needed the people in cities. They lobbied for one another and considered one another’s needs.  Now, there can be so much ignorance on both sides.  I know that people in cities are actually poisoning themselves with toxic foods because they are so far removed from their food sources.

But you’ve admitted that you didn’t always live like this.

Heaven’s no!

My father was raised by a wealthy family in upstate New York and decided after WWII that he would settle in California.

My mother was a free spirit that served as a nanny for very wealthy individuals, traveled around a lot and decided that she wanted nothing to do with farm life ever again.

My father seemed to agree with this and they moved to Hollywood.

After a time, they wanted out, moved to the valley and bought an acre!

Which in Southern California, is practically a farm, thank you very much!

Exactly.

My parents have always been great, amazing people, but because of  their life experiences and whatnot, we honestly grew up with very mixed messages.

For example, we were raised on a street with chickens, but went to military/prep schools growing up!

We visited family every summer.  My mom’s family lived on a dairy farm, where they have farmed for five generations.  We were immersed in farm practices the entire time we were there, and then would get in the car, go to a hotel, and clean up for two days.  After this time, we would go to visit my dad’s family, where there was all of this wealth and children were to be seen and not heard.  They mingled with household help.

I used to tell people that I lived in an estate that was a horse ranch near where we lived.  I had the address memorized and everything.  Really and truly I think that I was always confused growing up.  My folks never talked about the “what” and the “why” of who we were and what we were doing as a family.

We were surrounded by the industry of Hollywood and my folks submerged us in it.  I was rubbing shoulders with very famous kids who were equally confused.

I went through a time of being very peer dependent, and it wasn’t a pretty picture.  I was really floundering.

My mom finally found a very tiny, private school on Laurel and Hardy’s estate.  My family ended up begging for me to be able to attend there; and when I was accepted I made the decision to turn my life around.

So really, your experience in life and all of those schools have contributed greatly to your ability to throw the events that you and Lynn are now famous for.

Laughs….Well, yes, I guess that you could definitely say that.

You do incredible things, Symbria.  And you and Lynn both do a great job of mentoring others along the way.

How many years did you do the Gala for George Wythe?

I did that event for six years.

It was definitely over the top and very successful.

Well, thank you.

So go on, please…

Well, I continued to work in the industry, and was actually in an office for talent agents, covering for someone that was out, due to a car accident.

Believe it or not, as hokey as this will sound, I realized when the television show FISH came out, that I would really like to work with youth.

Can you believe that that’s where I drew my inspiration?!

I went to a foster placement treatment facility and saw the conditions that those kids were living in.  I went home to Lynn and asked if  we could bring two kids home.  They never left!  Pretty soon, we added one child’s sister as well.  Then we had our biological daughter, Sara.

I never wanted to raise my kids in the city.  I think that it’s very easy for kids that have grown up on a farm to adapt to life in a city.  In fact, I’m convinced that they “get it” in about 10 minutes.

However, it is much more difficult for people from a city to adapt to rural life.

We built a six foot block wall around our house, got chickens, took farm walks, etc.

In spite of these efforts, no matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t keep the influence of the big city away.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love the city.

I love its culture, the opportunities, the ambiance.  It’s great to travel and be exposed to the culture.

But you can always go into the city and the superficial side of things is quick to take hold.

Ideally, I wanted my kids to be immersed in a rural life with exposure to the city for advantageous things.

I think it’s a real shame that in many cases, both sides of the spectrum see one another as “wicked” or detrimental.

So when did you move to Cedar City?

When our son Michael was sixteen.

It is great to live in the elements, to grow food, to go through the hardship of harvesting something from the land.

It’s nice to be a part of growing something for the sake of community rather than a corporation.

Working the land teaches us something that we can’t get from anything else.

It’s a lot easier to show up for a play or to go to a cultural event, than it is to understand what it means to have a frost in June!

Having lived both sides of this coin, what types of reading material or resources do you suggest?

I really want to stress again, Teri, that I think that it’s a shame for our society to villify one lifestyle or another.  In many cases, circumstances prevent us from the ideal geographical setting.

What is important is exposure to both sides, so that our kids glean an understanding of how others live.

Here are some resources that I think are especially helpful on the way to achieving this goal.

Core and Love of Learning:

Millie and Tillie or Country Mouse, City Mouse

Tops and Bottoms

Anything by Tasha Tudor, as she depicts a simpler more organic lifestyle

Little Britches

Laddie

Farmer Boy from the Little House series.  This is actually my favorite of those books.

Scholar and above:

The Four Lost American Ideals by Oliver DeMille

Georgics by Virgil

Founders as Farmers by Thorton

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Farmer by Ludy

Letters of a Woman Homesteader  by Eleanor Pruitt

Cookbooks are for Core, Love of Learning, and Scholar.

Some of my favorites:

The Settlement Cookbook by Mrs. Simon Kander

The Complete American Housewife 1776 by Julianne Belote

The Pioneer Woman Cooks ( this is a recently  published work that coincides with the fabulous blog the pioneerwoman.com)

I think that the following videos or television series are very beneficial…

Green Acres

The Waltons

Little House series

The Patriot.  This movie is rough, but is a brilliant depiction of Georgics.

The Power of Community.  This is a true story of what occurred in Cuba.

Food, Inc.

So do you think that you’ve accomplished your goal?

Of total immersion in a rural life?  Yes, I honestly do.

Sara’s done it.

She grew her first garden in 2008 for saleable baskets.  Now, she has a CSA and last year she had four shareholders.

And for the city -sided folk, this means?….

Well, big companies and corporations grow one crop.  A community sustained agriculture project will grow, say, twenty varieties of crops.  You buy into it, so that if I go down, you go down with me!  But seriously, you are connected to your food source.

And I’m not certified by the government, I use no sprays or pesticides– nothing.  Every week, you get a share.  Sometimes you come out and plant, weed or harvest.  You need to work with us.  Your share can cost less, if you come and work more.

We’re moving to high tunnels next. ( That would be a greenhouse, folks.)

That’s our next step.  We don’t desire huge, but we do desire to be authentic and community minded.

And by the way…

You know that I love DeDe, having met her.  She’s another one that “gets it.”  She can move very easily in both worlds.

Yes, I know that, Symbria.  I can MOVE in both worlds, I just can’t DO things in both!  I think I have a black thumb.  Morticia Adams and I are friends!

But you’re going to try, right?

Yes, I’m going to try.  I’ve been inspired.

And I can’t wait to come back for a visit!

You’re welcome any time. And this interview wasn’t so painful after all.

I’m leaving this interview with some images of “Green Acres”, okay?  ( i.e.  The Patterson’s house)

Thanks!

You’re welcome.  We’ll see you next week!

It’s always a picnic with the Pattersons!…

You can learn more about Sara’s CSA by going to RedAcreCSA.org

What is one thing that you plan to implement to “bridge the gap” between urban and rural?

I’d love to know!