Learning

Yesterday, I had a very un-profound epiphany and it has nagged me all day today. I had lunch with a person my grandparents' age. We talked history, politics, education, gardening; it was a very lively conversation. I walked away from it fascinated, curious, and feeling like I know nothing at all.

So what was my epiphany? Simply this: I've got so much to learn. This one thing irritates me so much because, with the opportunities I've had, I certainly should know more than I do. Julian is a very analytical thinker and can chew on a problem for hours, mulling it over and crafting a solution until it is satisfyingly elegant to him. Me? I am a test taker. I want the rush of adrenaline, the deadline, the expectation to perform. We are quite different in this way. He left college with a classic "education", I left with a "degree".

Working now in the university sector, I have so much regret that I did not take full advantage of my education and appreciate the humanities and classic sciences more. I took Spanish, Latin, and French but can speak nothing but English. I read two levels ahead of my grade and yet have never read the most popular examples of classic literature because I could asses the plot well enough to write a report having never read the book.

So the reason this is all un-profound is because I've known for quite a while that I should have learned more. The reason it is an epiphany is that it just hit me yesterday that I have control of the situation and should ascertain tangible ways to continue learning.

I certainly am curious and I "discover" new things every day, but when I say I want to learn, I mean that I want to be intentional about continuing my education. So I'll stop blathering on now and just say I've decided to start this in two ways. I'm going to read Washington, A Life by Ron Chernow and I'm going to make a list of my 50 favorite plants and learn their Latin names. Lastly but not least, I want to continue my study of old hymns, their scripture references and authors' inspiration. I know these seem so random but I think they are just random enough to not feel like work, and something I WANT to learn about anyway. Wish me luck.