On Life-long learning: “My aim in life is to learn what I can from my experiences, to act on that learning and by example share what I’ve learned with others.”

#63 MODERN AFFIRMATION 1,001 Meditations by Mike George (Published 2004 by Chronicle Books)

I write a lot of little notes to myself: on post-its, in my daily notebook, in my daily journal, in my task organizer ToodleDo (I don’t make these names up), in my iCal calendar, on scraps of paper, and in my mind (not always the most reliable method these days). I do this sometimes in a vain attempt not only to keep track of my life tasks but also to capture every great idea I get in the craziest of places: bathrooms, in bed, in the car, in the store, walking in my neighborhood, during my early morning ritual, and a host of other locations and times. But it’s also to write down a great quote, a piece of wisdom that has taught me something at that moment, from which I hope to build more knowledge and gain more insight.

Lately, I’ve been paying attention to the small things and the big challenges in life. I have lists for each.  It might not seem like a big deal to most, but I have a toenail problem that requires regular care, which forces me to visit a nail salon at least once a month (I can’t believe how much it costs). Is this TMI (too much information)? For me, it’s just an annoyance that I write down on one of my many notes as a reminder.

Learning comes in all forms. There’s the learning you gain from a life of accomplishments and fuck-ups and the resulting wisdom (well, not always guaranteed) and the learning you gain in a more formal setting like school or a job.

“Take care of your car in the garage, and the car will take care of you on the road.”

Amit Kalantri, Wealth of Words

When I returned to college in 2016, I was sixty-seven years old, and I honestly believed I knew everything there was to learn. Starting with my first semester at Long Beach City College, that ignorant and arrogant notion in my head was quickly crushed, crumpled up, and thrown in the trash can (okay, there’s always room for a little more knowledge. BOOM!). Eight years later (2024), I can honestly say that I have written a thousand, maybe hundreds of thousands, of notes about everything from Anthropology to Political Philosophy to Fiction Writing (we’ll try to forget that final in Statistics).

All those hours of reading, writing, listening to lectures, and grin-and-bear-it tests have given me the power to think more critically. Don’t accept any information without pausing and asking reasonable questions. Jot down a few questions on some small notes. Later, check multiple research sources (objective factual sources exist). It would be even better to ask the presenter about that original information. Challenge them on their source of information.

If they tell you that the United States of America would cease to exist if we hadn’t elected Donald Trump, don’t be shy; ask them how they know this. Be assertive. Consult your small notes of questions, find the one about ignorance and threats, look them straight in the eyes, and challenge them with the best question: Are you threatening me?

“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.”

Collected Essays (1959), Aldous Huxley, British writer, P. 218 The Great Thoughts, Compiled by George Seldes (Published by Ballantine Books)

All those little notes continue to inspire and teach me that critical thinking is essential for living a full and passionate life. It’s not just about knowledge; it’s about the wisdom gained through experience in applying and building on that knowledge.

I wrote this essay in Spring 2024 as I was beginning the final two months of my eight-year journey through college and preparing for graduation. I told myself then that I was going to use this time to start a one-year project to get my health in order (I have a bucket list to check off, and that will take some time), relax, read and write, travel while doing those things, learn patience while I unwind, maybe squeeze in some formal learning in between, relax some more, see lots of movies and plays, eat at some of the Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants, definitely relax after some of those meals, and live well.

Well, you know what they say about the best-laid plans? Yeah, some of this happened, but not all of it. What, most importantly, did happen is that my curiosity for more knowledge exploded exponentially. I have become a vacuum cleaner, figuratively speaking. I just want to learn everything I can suck up into my brain before time runs out. Hey, I’m seventy-six, quickly heading into seventy-seven, and I figure, why waste time? Because you just never know. 

There’s a good note: Don’t waste time because you never know.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Helen Keller- In 1940, Keller published “Let Us Have Faith,” and a chapter titled “Faith Fears Not” contained this passage. See more of the total quote HERE.