The Love of Learning

"Love of learning is the most necessary passion...in it lies our happiness. It's a sure remedy for what ails us, an unending source of pleasure." - Emille du Chatelet.

I love learning. I'm curious as a cat. A headline of a story may get my attention. In last Sunday's New York Times, an article about an interesting study was done showing a link between physical activity and creativity. It finds that creative people develop more and better ideas during tests of their inventiveness than those who are relatively sedentary. This article could easily lead to more research on my part and down into the vortex. I'm determined to indulge my interest in this latest narrative.

Inspiring artists, their lives, lovers, where and how they lived are fascinating to me. Above all, it is their one-of-a-kind creations of images, shapes, and colors that grab my attention like a hawk upon its prey.  I want to know everything I can about the piece. I own books on my favorite artists and often Google to learn about others. My inquisitiveness is insatiable.

I especially admire Vincent Van Gogh and his painting "Starry Night," one of my favorites. It is almost childlike in its simplicity, yet the colors and movement could not be created by a child. 

His short and tragic life is fascinating, and I never tire of learning about him.

Health and fitness, especially for women in this stage of our lives, has become a priority for most, and I'm no exception. We want to navigate our remaining years with vigor, strength, and health. 

Reading up on the latest news to help me stay fit and healthy is fun for me. This has become another avocation. My interest in the current findings is also creating new neural pathways in the brain—all learning aids in keeping us young and thriving.

Many of you do the same - always looking for original ways to stay vital and engaged.

Exercising my body by either walking, hiking, lifting weights, or playing pickleball are activities I enjoy six days a week. I know women who feel exercising is a chore. Not me. I love being outdoors in the fresh air, feeling the cold crispness on my skin while the day is rife with possibilities. Not only am I moving my body, but taking in my surroundings energizes my mind, as well. Stimulating discussions often occur when walking with my dear friend, Shannon. 

If it's a pickleball game I'm playing, I love the group's easy competition and camaraderie. Learning a new technique while playing is not uncommon. Learning can appear in many forms.

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." - Henry Ford.

Books of fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, historical novels, you name it, I want it! There aren't enough hours in a day or days in a week to read all the books I aspire to. My absolute favorite time of the day is the evening when I cuddle up in bed an hour or two before hubby joins me to dig into my latest tome —what a treat.

I have recently accepted an invitation from a friend that has taken me out of my comfort zone. Isn't that what stretching our learning muscles is meant to do? 

Meg was a creative writing professor at one of the nation's top universities. She is currently penning a book of poems and was in a bit of a slump. She asked me to be her creative writing partner. Little ole me? My writing resume' consists of my journal and this blog. As frightened as I was to take on this challenge, I jumped on it. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to learn from a pro. 

The enjoyment I'm experiencing, together with the knowledge I am gaining, is priceless. 

As though the critiques weren't enough, Meg encouraged me to submit an article to Medium.com - to push me even further outside my safe haven. With much trepidation, I did, and the feeling was euphoric. 

In case you're still not convinced that ongoing learning is critical for us as we age, several studies were conducted. It was determined that maintaining curiosity in old age is protective against cognitive and physical decline. It also helps protect against depression.

You may have experienced, as I have, that the desire to learn and the attainment of new ideas, skills, and knowledge simply gives one a thirst for even more. It's an infinite thread. 

As I see it, once we cease to learn, we cease to live.

xo