Learning

As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others. ~ Audrey Hepburn As those lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer slowly draw to a close, I’ve begun thinking about Fall. It’s time to think about doing something useful with my time. This thinking resulted in my procuring an application form to volunteer in a “Leading to Reading Program” once a week. It’s held and sponsored by the Toronto Public Library. It’s a wonderful opportunity to help children having difficulty with reading improve their skills. ...

This year has gone by very quickly. It feels like it was just the other day I was preparing for Christmas 2015. “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Well, to tell the truth, it wasn’t all fun. Life has its challenges and there are always valuable lessons to learn as we spend our days here on Earth. For anyone thinking that lessons stop when you leave school, I have news for you. They begin on the day you are born and continue until the day you take your last breath. I am 67 and learning many valuable lessons at this stage of my life. As the saying goes: “It ain’t over till it’s over.” ...

[caption id=“attachment_2989” align=“aligncenter” width=“800”] It’s not the teaching, it’s the learning. ~ Sly Stone[/caption] Opportunities abound everywhere and at every age to get involved in activities that involve learning. We don’t have to be in school to learn. In fact, most learning takes place outside the classroom. I had reason to reflect on the challenge of learning this past week as I set myself to the task of using a new program for making my collages. There was an element of fear within me. The fear was there because I didn’t know how they would turn out. I had got used to the old way of making collages. I decided to throw all caution to the wind. As Nehru says: “The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all.” ...