the opposite of learning

I’ve decided that the opposite of learning is forgetting.

Several mornings a week, as I sit at the table and drink my daily vitamin shake, my six and a half-year-old grandson gives me a memory test. Sometimes he shows me each of his little die cast airplanes and sees if I remember the name of each. He has dozens, and he knows them all. Sometimes he sets up his dinosaur models and tests me on the names of each of those. Each time I remember a few, but I forget the names of most from day to day — even though he names each for me, speaking very clearly and explaining the distinguishing features of each.

As he learns, I forget.

On the other hand, as he learns, I also find out about all sorts of bits of information that I didn’t know and didn’t know that I didn’t know. Of course, I forget most of it, but, at the time when he is explaining to me that whale sharks eat plankton, I find it interesting, both that I never knew that and also that it doesn’t matter that I never knew that.

I forget. He seems to remember everything, and I think it’s because being home schooled enables him to pursue learning about what interests him, whether it be tornadoes, fossils, war planes, or road construction. And, at the same time, he’s learning that math, science, history, reading and writing are necessary to his understanding of what interests him.

His mom posted a unique perspective on what she has discovered that is important for kids to learn on her own blog.

We are definitely a bunch of avid learners in this extended household. Unfortunately, I am forgetting as much as I’m learning.
Hopefully, my son, who is on a learning curve regarding moving this blog to WordPress, will soon finish the job so that he can then forget it.

Soon. My new look will be up soon.

And, with it, a new photo of me, which my daughter is going to take for the little blurb about me that is going to appear in Vicki Howell‘s upcoming Craft Corps book.

And you thought that I was just a blogger. Live and learn. Except for me. I live and forget.

2 thoughts on “the opposite of learning

  1. Just yesterday, I was sitting over tea with a friend and we were discussing whether either of us would go back to school to study. She said no because she doesn’t have the self-confidence. I’m not sure, but essentially, I crave to give it another try. There are so many things I’d like to learn, but even more things I’d like to know. Two friends of mine when back part-time to do university degrees when they were in their sixties. They both graduated with honours. I’d be satisfied if they didn’t kick me out. We’ll see what happens.

    Think it is a good mental excercise for you and your grandson and I particularly think it is good for him, since he spends time with you and helps you and sees that his grandmother wants to keep her brain fit. Good for you.

  2. Elaine I am so glad to read the change in your writing now that you are mostly out of that very bad situation at your brother’s. The ..er..”old” Elaine is starting to show again 🙂

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