Thank you everyone for your stories!
Unlike the majority, I had no exposure to quilting growing up, in fact I only have one cousin who even sews at all and that was mostly children's clothes. My grandmas did not quilt but I don't know about their mothers so I don't think there was a quilting gene like someone here wondered. I taught my nieces to make a nine-patch potholder and one of them won a prize at her county fair! Neither went on from there, but that's ok, they learned the effort involved so appreciate quilting more, including Aunt Cathy's.
High Schools and Colleges offer courses in Art Appreciation and Music Appreciation in which they teach the history, equipment and techniques, but the student does not have to do it. I think they should also offer, for credit like the others, a Quilt Appreciation course! There might be a textile class for those registered in those programs but it should be open to everyone as a single course, like when I took a basic music appreciation... wow, I learned so much and it changed my listening forever. Imagine how many unexposed-to-quilts next generation might then really look at a quilt, be thrilled if given one as a gift and maybe even give it a try!
OK, that's not really about my story, just my reflections.