Turnips and Radishes

“The root of education is bitter, but sweet are its fruits.”

Encomium: Isocrates, the father of modern education, is the most appropriate person to speculate on the subject. Without his great achievements, we could not be where we are today as a society.
Paraphrase of Saying: Your education is difficult to struggle through but eventually it will be worth the unhappiness or effort.
Causes or Reasons for Saying: Especially in America, but also all over the world, students struggle through their education. They have a negative attitude towards school and learning in general. They are stuck on the road to “The Good Life,” ready to be lazy and wasting all the money they can get their hands on. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work this way. Life isn’t easy, and neither is education, and thus, many young people run from it. They are not able to see the benefits their efforts will give them in the future.
Contrast: If a student chooses to abandon his education, he will not be able to harvest the fruits, or, if he can, the fruits will be rotten or sour instead of sweet.
Comparison: Most everything requires strenuous work in order to achieve the end product. Farmers, parents, and preachers all place incredible time and effort into achieving the “sweet fruits.”
Example: Some of us cannot be as lucky as Bill Gates, dropping out of college and becoming the richest man in America. Most of us are not able to take the easy road. Take, for example, Dr. Donna Souder, a life-long student. She is aware of the great multitude of fruits that she will be able to harvest if she continues to overcome the bitter root.
Epilogue: Keep this statement in mind. It is essential to all students, those who were students in the past, and those who will be students sometime in the future. Most things, once you pass the initial struggle, become much, much easier.