Be a Student

When we are young we go to school. We learn the stuff we are presented with(more or less) accepting that we can understand more about the world around us. Once we are done with school though it is easy to lay back and decide that our days of being a student are over. "If it was important they would have told me about it."

That is a very narrow view of the world though. We live in an amazing world. It is so full of beautiful things amazing places and interesting people. Pick any topic you can imagine and you can spend lifetimes learning about it. To cut yourself off early from learning because you aren't an official student in school anymore (even if you have a PhD) is a sorry waste of a life.

Beyond that though the world is changing so quickly that even if you learned a topic really well ten years ago you probably don't have a good handle on where things are now. To quote Grandpa Simpson from the Simpsons:

"I used to be with it, but then they changed what 'it' was. Now what I'm with isn't 'it', and what's 'it' seems weird and scary to me. It'll happen to you..." - Grandpa Simpson

Learning more about any topic deepens our appreciation for the world around us. Walking through a forest when you know the types of trees, birds, moss, and geology of the area deepens the enjoyment beyond just a pleasant walk.

Learning to paint at whatever age can be a valuable way to enrich your appreciation for art, express yourself, and if you are good maybe make a few bucks.

So embrace the unending wonder of the world we live in and be a student for life.