A Learning Season

As I write this, the weather is chilly and fall-like. I can’t help but feel like this is back to school season for the kids, and back to school memories for adults.

Even as the end of summer brings its own sadness, and sometimes regrets (the things we did not do), there is something exciting about the start of a new season. Whether we were a child that embraced school or endured it, as adults we have the opportunity to choose what we learn and how we engage.

There is something really important about continuing to learn, even if we never do so again in a classroom like format. Here are some tips for keeping your mind sharp and interested.

1. When I was a teenager, I remember a family member bragging that he had not read a book since high school. As an avid reader myself, I couldn’t imagine ever wanting my life without books and it certainly wasn’t something I considered bragging material.

   However, I have met many people who do not have the same relationship with books as I do. And, even as my life has gotten busier and more demanding, my time to read has diminished. But, there are other ways to engage in content.
   If reading is not joyful for you, you can try audio books (a form of reading that you can experience differently, and perhaps with appreciation. It is how I consume most of my books these days). There are podcasts on an abundance of issues. There are documentaries and short videos on topics that may interest you.

   And perhaps try picking up a book on a topic of YOUR choice.

2. Take on a new challenge, small or large. Like all people, I have things I am good at and things I am not. Sometimes if it is something I am not good at, I get nervous about the thought of doing it and lose any pleasure I might have had in tackling it.
   Several years ago I ordered an office table and chairs that needed to be put together. Instead of getting help, I took it on as a challenge. I posted the parts on social media, noted my lack of aptitude, and asked people to predict how long it would take me. I was mocking myself but also created a game out of it. I put on music I enjoy and set forth to put it all together. I ended up being successful, having fun, and entertaining my friends.

   Putting together a table was a small challenge. A big challenge was when, as a non-runner, I took on a marathon training program. I literally had never run a day in my life. I both completed the marathon and signed up for a second, all while raising money for the American Stroke Association. Amazingly, I still think of myself as a non-runner, but that challenge was one of the best experiences of my life.

3. Go to new places and experience new things. There are festivals still to be experienced, galleries awaiting your visit, museums with accessible information, theaters with performances you’ve never heard of, parks you have never walked, bands wishing you would listen, wine tastings, and small nearby communities you have never visited. Whether with your family, with old or new friends, or by yourself, get out and create a new memory for yourself.

4. Be careful of what you glean from social media. Have you ever noticed that if you search for something that all of a sudden you get an abundance of ads for products related to it? The same is true in what we get “fed” by social media companies. If we click on something out of curiosity and there is an agenda to that post, we will begin to receive many messages that reinforce that idea. We might at first have rolled our eyes, but as things continue to be put in front of us, our good sense begins to waver and we can find ourselves believing things that are not true or doubting things that are. So - don’t click on most things on social media, and immediately seek out credible sources if you read something that your good sense tells you you should be skeptical of.

5. Don’t shy away from the “classroom” - which can be in person or virtual. There are art classes, piano lessons, and many “learn to” opportunities. There are lecture series and poet readings.

6. Volunteer. I volunteer as a classroom volunteer for danceability, a dance studio for children and adults with various disabilities. I am not a dancer (in fact, I focus on their Fitness Frenzy program myself) and no one needs to be. I have learned much more than I have taught. I have gained much more than I have given. Most volunteers feel the same way. Find a way to contribute to share your skills and talents, but also to expand your experience of the world.

Enjoy what remains of the summer - perhaps with time for one or two new experiences!