What Does Education Do For Us?

My friend Sally Sue (not her real name! :-) and I were talking about what we learned in school that we make use of now. It's hard to isolate anything real. It's easy to say "nothing" and mean it. I'm not sure if that's really true but it makes it incredibly difficult to decide to send D to school.

TOTALLY IRRELEVANT TO THIS POST:
I just told him that he may go to public school and he can quit his summer work. It took him two days before he couldn't stand it and put the physics video on. Then he started searching for a book to read - normally he won't read at all unless it's required for school by me. Of course, he added to that that he wants me to write a book for him to read, apparently he has quite specific requirements! When I suggested that perhaps he should write it himself, he said, "I KNEW you were going to say that! But I want YOU to write it." Well. Okay then, don't know where that came from.
I JUST HAD TO PUT THAT IN.

Back to school, education, learning, direction: I've been trying to decide what I needed in school that I didn't get. Then I can see to it that D DOES get that or at least knows the need for it. It's not specific information of course, school does that. I didn't miss out on how to find information, school shows that too, though the
methods I learned are totally outdated now!
Mainly I think it was career preparation. The problem is that I know I was beyond disinterested in that as a kid and teen. What I did always want to hear was exactly how what I was learning was used in the job. What did this person use algebra for, exactly what task? Why was it needed? Or why did knowing the causes of the American Civil War help this person in his/her life or career? How exactly did it help? Generalities weren't helpful for me as a kid.