Are We There Yet?

Temple of Knowledge. Or maybe it's a library. Same thing, really.

As I sit here thinking about all the possibilities for learning in the coming months, I'm struck by the realization that I am still learning.  Don't get me wrong, I haven't been floating haphazardly through life without paying attention to my surroundings.  I have realized before today that I'm still learning. I've always thought that that learning was happening because I am so intentional about it.  I'm going to college, reading books and experiencing the world with the intention of learning. What I realized today, though, is that I would still learn even if I wasn't being so intentional simply because I exist and don't hide under a rock.

Here's an example of what I mean.  I was scrolling through a social media sight when I happened upon an interesting video.  I watched the video and thought about what I was seeing.  Then I decided to do more research because I still had questions. It was at that moment, while I was relaxing in my quiet house drinking my morning coffee on the first day of my vacation, that I realized I was learning.  Unintentionally.

In today's educational environment, children and adults seem to assume that the point of education is to reach some sort of end goal.  For some, that goal is a meaningful career.  For others it may mean simply financial stability.  Others, still, may just be waiting for their education to be done so they can start living their lives.

15 years ago, everyone, even I, assumed that I was done with my education.  I had the degree that I needed to get a good job and help to support my young family.  What no one realized, though, is that I was still constantly learning for the whole four years that I followed that career path.  Schooling hadn't prepared me for the practical work of the day to day tasks involved in my employment. So I had to learn how to do those things.  When a boss asked me if I'd be interested in working on a project with him, I timidly replied yes.  I left his office and immediately began scouring resources to learn what I needed to know in order to be an effective partner on the project.

Shortly thereafter, I embarked on a new career with a whole new set of expectations and educational requirements. I also began homeschooling my children and discovered a whole world of knowledge waiting for me!

My point is this:  I've still got a lot of life left (at least I hope I do) and I still have so much to learn that I can't imagine ever reaching an end point.  I'm definitely not there yet.

My husband recently learned (from a pretty amazing mentor) what is necessary to replace a toilet and flooring in a bathroom.  He continues to learn about his own interests as well as the people around him.  He is a student of life.  He is not there yet.

My children are still young and just starting their educational journeys.  My 18 year old is, for the first time, looking at her future in terms of how she wants to earn a living (this idea didn't become real to her until just recently). My younger daughter still moves from one interest to another with such fluidity that the observer often misses the transition.  They are not there yet.

My 81 year old grandfather is learning more everyday about his love for God through a newly discovered religious path. He is learning to navigate this world without the woman that he shared his life with. At the same time he is experiencing, for the first time in 60 years, the excitement of a new relationship.  Even he is not there yet.

Celebrate learning!

To me, this is all evidence that we are NEVER there.  We can all take comfort in the idea that we will not ever be done learning and growing.  Whatever of those basic, "necessary" subjects our children haven't mastered by the time they leave us, they may tackle at a different point on their journey. (I'm living proof as I relearn basic math!) I take comfort in the idea that my family and I have the rest of our lives to learn all of the things that we still want to learn. So do you!