Life-Long Learning

I can remember very clearly when I told my adviser at Knox College that I wanted to double major in biology and creative writing.  He blinked but was otherwise unfazed.  That was when I knew I was at the right school.  

Those were two of the subjects I was most interested in pursuing, and, while pretty opposite in and of itself, it does not fully encompass all of the things I really want to learn.  My family as a whole has an odd collection of knowledge, but I suppose that could be said for many families.  Here is a short list of our odd knowledge collective in my immediate-ish family:

• Photography
• Woodworking
• How to listen
• Basic construction
• Theology
• Fencing (the stabbing kind)
• Drawing 
• CAD drawing
• Racecar driving (specifically Sprint cars)
• Basic circuitry
• Sailing and basic boat repair
• Crocheting
• Gaming (card games, board games, etc.)
• First aid/medical knowledge
• Computer assembly
• Writing/editing/grammar
• Simple computer programming
• A smattering of languages, including sign language
• Music, music, music (including accordion, banjo, and opera)
• How to juggle
• Canning
• Proper swimming strokes/basic diving/scuba
• Car maintenance (basic repair and detailing)

I remember telling my father once that we were weird.  He corrected me "No, we're renaissance."  I still like to learn odd things.  And I've been taking steps toward my own self-improvement, keeping that hunger alive. 

• When I'm on hold waiting for a client (and my headset cooperates), I've been practicing juggling with the kooshballs on my desk.
• I'm making a specific effort toward including reading in my schedule--currently reading Dragonfly in Amber and Sophie's World, the former an enjoyable novel and the latter a crash course in Western Philosophy.  
• I'm attempting to learn how to french braid my own hair--struggling more with how to hold the different pieces than anything else.
• Joined the Finance Committee at the church, and I have actually seen moments where I have impacted the conversation, even if it's only adding in oxford commas.
• I've been taking piano lessons, currently on a Chopin waltz and "Married Life" from UP!.  
• Stepping a bit out of the norm to sing in Verdi's Requiem and learning more things about the way I sing and/or how to improve upon it.
• Using a DuoLingo app, I've been attempting to teach myself Norwegian.
• Getting in to some therapy for depression/anxiety relating to chronic illness/pain; this one has been a long time in coming, but now that things have calmed down enough to put more elements into my schedule.  
• Though I've fallen out a bit lately, I had been going regularly to the gym.
• Still blogging away!

Sometimes, when I'm feeling down on myself for not working toward a grand goal, it's good to remember what I'm doing in the meanwhile.  And we should be continuing to learn new things, else we stagnate.