Lovely post. I see myself there. As an ‘over independent’ female, I read everything whether it will help me now or later. My critical thinking was developed early so my brain stored everything I read for whatever reasons. Raising children, I realized why. My children don’t bother to check the dictionary for synonyms, antonyms, homophones or the meaning of any word. They ask me. The same goes for math, science, communication task, and social studies. As they enter high school, they tag my brain for history, geography, art, literature, Principles of Business, Principles of Accounts, and they go further to try Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, even IT. I didn’t even attend college, but because I read so much I knew a lot. And like you said, what I don’t know, I research. I saved thousands of dollars in paying for extra lessons for my children in school as I manage to teach them. And they helped me to improve my brain. Today, they are only interested in areas of education that they think will help them, and they will have to pay someone to teach their children. You see, while I was learning, I wasn’t learning for myself only. While teaching them, we also get to spend quality time together and had a lot of fun too. Knowledge is power and it should be shared to help and improve not only us but others too. Never stop learning my dear, and have fun doing it.