The Learning Curve

Do you remember when you learned cursive writing?

The other day, I was sitting with my son at his school, burning time before music class, watching him do his cursive writing assignment. He’s so focused, so committed to this new task. It’s almost as if the room has gone dark around him. You can’t see this in this picture but there are about thirty kids, ten feet away from him, running, playing, screaming.

I remember this youthful optimism, drive and focus. Heck, I try my very best to duplicate it in my adult life now. Those moments when learning something new meant being something new! Like when learning cursive writing or memorizing everyone’s birthday in your class made you a superhero of sorts.  Shouldn’t it be that easy for us to feel that good everyday?

What would our world be like if child-like optimism and eyes wide open attitudes were the order of the day with everyone?

The truth is that we are all on a curve…a BIG learning curve.  It seems to me as I live among these big beings we call adults, we are refusing to accept that not knowing is a major part of our existence.  Having to learn something or many things new everyday is the spice of life.  Life’s curve balls are what keeps us guessing and isn’t guessing like playing a game?  And, isn’t playing games what children are good at?

I am taking an oath with myself to keep learning and to open my eyes in the face of change and see what’s coming around the next CURVE….because truthfully, we all are gonna learn eventually.