Daily Archives: March 9, 2012

The Eureka! Moments in our Lives

Uncategorized


I love when the light bulb goes on, when I have an epiphany, when suddenly I Get It!

While living in Australia, I saw an old Tracey Ullmann sketch where Tracey plays an Australian golfer who’s in the US for the “June Allyson DEPENDS Open.” You can watch it here. I loved the show so much, I went to the trouble and expense of having an Australian-format video transferred to US-format, so I would always have it. Didn’t know at the time the internet would almost make videos a moot point.

So Kiki has TWO epiphanies in the sketch, and I have had an epiphany about epiphanies today. I am a deeply kinesthetic AND visual learner. I learn by doing, but I really learn by doing AND seeing. You can tell me you are going out of town next Tuesday and will be back on Friday. You can even tell me the flight arrangements. You can even use the dates. And I won’t get it nearly as well as I will if you write that information down on a piece of paper (or email) and show it to me.

Funny thing is, I have been viewing this learning style as a disadvantage! When recently planning a novel undertaking, I felt stressed about all the things I wouldn’t be able to think of ahead of time, because I learn by doing and by seeing. But then I had this light bulb moment. There are very few people, if any, who can pull something off the first time without the benefit of past experience. Learning by doing is part of the learning process itself!

Of course I love experiential learning, and it fits strongly into my educational philosophy. I wonder what my experiences are going to be like when I embrace this learning style, when I welcome it, and when I start to realize the benefits of such a style. Eureka!

What do you think about learning by doing? What made you laugh in the video I linked to?

Blogging while Uninspired

#gratitude


Sitting down to blog every day is similar to taking time to work on a book every day. Both involve writing. Both are for the purpose of communicating something to an audience. And both writers have days where the most important thing is to put pen to paper, or fingers to keys.

Today was largely unremarkable. I returned books, lots of books, to the library. (Oh, how I love that drive-through drop-off.) Stood in line to return an ill-advised purchase. Met a friend for coffee. Think I might have experienced a hot flash.

As with several other universal experiences, I had decided not to experience this whole hot flash thing. The other times I have politely declined to experience what so many others before me have experienced, my intention did not line up with my reality. Somehow, I have expected a pass from certain common experiences. Some aspects of parenting teens come to mind.

It is when I choose to focus on what I am grateful for that I am reminded that every day is filled with gifts of all sizes and shapes. Today, the rain misting while I put Kepler on the bus. The gift of my new office space. The blessing of a mother who senses my exhaustion and whips up a tasty dinner for my family. The blessing of my husband and children. And I am reminded once again that my story about my story is the one that makes my experience what it is. I want to be sure to have a story that includes lots and lots of gratitude.

Sometimes the act of recounting the sources of my gratitude is enough to inspire me to move toward what is right with my world.