Thursday, September 4, 2014

Never Stop Learning

Except for math...I was told there would be no math 


By Maureen L. Bonatch


It’s that time of year again. When the buses start to clog the early morning rush to work, the kids pack the corner bus stops showing off their ‘back to school’ clothes purchases honed to the latest fashion as a new school year begins.
After a long summer hiatus, as a parent I feel it is my job to remind my children that there are a few things they can be certain of...

1.     Mornings can and will start at a horrific hour before the sun has barely greeted the day
2.    The obsessive worries on the first day of school of what to wear will fade within the first week and by the end of the school year you’ll be throwing on any old thing just to grab a few extra minutes of sleep (make a note to yourself to be sure to put on real pants before you race out that door-- ditch the PJ pants and slippers)
3.   Listen carefully in class…because I’ll gladly help with your reading and writing assignments, but when it comes to your ‘rithmetic homework…you’re pretty much on your own 

Some things never change.
·      Like the fact that my children will disregard #3 and come to me with the insane hope that I might somehow be able to help them with square roots (hello..have you just met your mother of 13 years?)
·      And that school days may come to an end for the semester, the year, your lifetime, but education and learning is, and should always be, ongoing

It may not be in an actual classroom, and you may not ride a bus to get there and you may not have any new school clothes (perish that thought--you're the adult now, this can be a valid reason to buy new clothes)… 
...but the opportunity to learn new things is still, and always will be, there.

As a writer, there are a plethora of classes to choose from online. I know, because I have a slight addiction to continuously taking classes because there is always so much more to learn about the writing process, marketing, branding, deepening POV, writing a synopsis, social media...and much, much more.
Classes can vary in length from a day, to a week, to a month, to a year. They're held on listserves, in chatrooms, or webinars... No worries, there is no one size/class fits all! You can find what you like to take, when you like to take it and where you like to take it.

To name only a few places I’ve taken classes:

Besides combatting the mundane of the everyday and the thrill of learning something new, many studies have shown that lifelong learning helps defend against mental decline.  (And you can learn new words to throw around and toss out comments about enlightening things you've learned from your teacher and classmates)


So get out your notebooks, fire up your computer and go ahead and buy a couple new ‘back to school’ outfits.
Because even if you’re staring at a computer in your own home in your sweat pants or pajamas…you’re never too old to stop learning…
...well maybe not when it comes to square roots…but perhaps that’s just me..


“You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”~ C.S. Lewis

Visit my website, or follow me on Facebook to find out about my upcoming release: 

Destiny Calling
~Hope doesn't know if the man she can touch is a dream come true, or a nightmare just beginning

4 comments:

Unknown said...

What an awesome post, and oh so true. Love taking classes, but alas, I also suck at math. My 8th grader is beyond my math skills. English...bring it on, but ask your father about math. :)

Diane Burton said...

You're absolutely right, Maureen. Learning is awesome! I'm on my 3rd class at Savvy Authors. I find it amazing how some of the simplest ideas give me that "ah-ha" moment. Math and I were never friends in school. Like Sophia, I always told the kids to ask their father. Then I discovered Excel. Hey, I can do that! :)

Maureen said...

Thanks for visiting ladies! I still hope to tackle Excel one day..the math part intimidates me ;)

Anonymous said...

sissy you are definitely the writer of the family! And Mama is the poet! Love Kathy