Learning Highlights

Hmmmm....wonder if I should say this here?  Might as well, not saying it doesn't change the story.  The thing I like best as a learner is being able to direct my own learning.  I can choose what I'm interested in, and what I'm not interested in.  I can pursue whatever I want to the depths that I want.  I can also choose to not pursue something.  That's a major advantage of being out of a formal education program (as a student) and into the lifelong learning category. 

As a learner, I'm a stalker.  I get focused on something that excites my curiousity and I stalk it until I grok (come to know) it.  I've noticed myself doing that more and more lately, but I do know that I have done that in the past.  When I talk about stalking, I'm talking about total attention, insistent attention, complete and utter absorption with something (to the point of ignoring all else).  Once I've grokked the concept, it's mine forever and I can then use it at will or not use it as the case may be.  Recent stalking behaviors of mine have included:  chaos theory (a couple of years ago), transformational learning (just last summer), learning to write computer programs for the MOO, blogs, and multigenre works.

The things I recall in my K-12 days about learning was that there were certain things that really captured my attention...and regardless of the teacher's expectations with regard to those certain things, I would stalk them until they were mine.  It didn't matter if the teacher didn't want me to know that much about something, something inside me compelled me to acquire knowledge of various kinds.  I remember stalking historical figures (did I mention that once in our small public library I read all of the biographies starting with the A's and continuing until the end?); I remember stalking in geometry, working every proof I could get my hands on until it became as easy as adding 1 + 1; I remember stalking certain pieces of music (did I mention I was a pianist in my younger days...my mother wanted me to pursue a career in music -- which is exactly why I didn't). 

College also presented me with opportunities to stalk.  Audiology is where I did most of my stalking.  The rest either came quite easily to me or didn't really capture and hold my interest as did audiology. 

So, I've talked about the content of my learning (audiology, biographies, computer stuff) and I've talked about the process (stalking) but I haven't really addressed the premises of learning.  My assumptions are that learning is an inalienable right and a privilege.  Learning is a duty I have to myself, my society, and to my creator.  Learning is the path to freedom.  Learning is a life-giving force that generates meaning out of my existence.  For me, learning is as essential as breathing.