BYB talks about his grandmother's ability to rise above her lack of education.
I've heard of a number of similar situations from the turn of the 20th century here in New Zealand - minimal schooling, but what they got really stuck. I think that may have something to do with societal values which are heartfelt rather than simply parroted.
My grandmother (on my mother's side) was born into a wealthy upper class family and received an expensive private education. Boy, could she write. But education breeds free thinking and she was also a very free thinker. My mother, who was pretty open to ideas, looked like a radical conservative alongside her.
On the other side of the family, my paternal grandmother wrote extremely neatly, but couldn't string two words together. She'd had primary schooling only. But then (and I hope to Gawd my father never reads this), she was not a paragon of intellectual excellence.
My maternal grandmother lived with us for a number of years during my childhood and introduced me to all kinds of concepts. The house always seemed much emptier when she went to visit her other children. I credit her with imbuing me with what little intellectual curiosity I possess.
OP
