What do you think about when you hear the word association? Most people think about an organization that they belong to. That is one meaning of the word. I don’t think that there is anyone who didn’t watch Sesame Street television program. They have taught millions of children letters or numbers. They taught them by association. If the number 3 was being taught there were 3 pigs. They did the same with letters. I watched with my kids when Bert and Ernie were on. When Sesame Street was for younger children, my kids moved on to big boy associations. There was scouting with knot tying and camping. Then there was team sports like football, baseball or basketball. And of course there were girlfriends. In each stage of their lives they learned about life through association. I was very careful about which association they could be part of. I want my children to have the best chance of living a good life. And that meant I had to choose for them until they were old enough to make their own decisions. With each level in life they attained, they learned through association. It didn’t matter where they were, they learned from the things around them. This is how we as a people learn. As the old saying goes, monkey see, monkey do. Or as it says in the bible, in I Corinthians 15:33 “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” (KJV).
