Education isn't one-size-fits-all—it's a deeply personal journey that unfolds at its own pace. After 31 years in the classroom and reaching the 'Rule of 85,' I've learned that true learning happens when people are ready, not when tests and mandates demand it. The most powerful educational systems don't standardize; they help every person—young or old—find joy in learning and excel on their unique path toward becoming who they're meant to be, whether that's a surgeon, welder, parent, or poet. As I close this chapter, I'm not leaving education behind but simply changing classrooms, still advocating for a return to the village approach where communities come together to fulfill education's true promise through relationships and relevance, not tests and politics.