How did Ms. Raymond know that her commentary piece “Are you smarter than your spouse?” was so timely? At a time when our nation is so clearly and at times bitterly divided along levels of education lines (for lack of a better term), her comparison of herself (as a college-educated person) and her husband (who doesn’t have a college degree) was poignant, hilarious and just what this country needs.

She recognizes with self-effacing humor that some of the skills one learns in college may seem superfluous (maybe like the use of the word superfluous!) when compared to what she calls the “practical intelligence” of her husband. She praises his ability to think through a project, even down to measuring a shoelace that needs to be replaced before heading to the store. Of course, we are left with the realization that without her education and effort we would not have this funny and reflective piece of writing, which calls to our analytical selves and keeps our thoughts interesting and our minds engaged.

In short, she helps us draw the conclusion that we need both. We need folks with practical knowledge and we need folks who intellectualize and theorize about life. One thing I love about Vermont is that we respect both contributions. The nation needs more of this!

Hannah Sessions

Salisbury