It is not too late to start.
The one thing I did right the last few years was to learn constantly and continuously. These skills have come in useful in these covid-19 times.
Family members say that I do not know how to relax but I think being curious is a good thing. They say that I should be retire having hit 60 years of age but retirement is not in my vocabulary. I wanted to be a learner for life and a teacher perhaps and that was my lofty goal.
I showed up for a preview of a website creation early last year. The instructor turned out to be a well-known SEO who was extremely passionate in imparting his skills to us.
For a free preview, we received much ‘meat’ out of his presentation that I felt the audience may not even sign up for his actual workshop.
However, he was an intelligent man. It was because of his generous sharing, that people could see more potential becoming his students.
Website creation was totally new to me given my exposure to technology. I asked a few stupid questions and was told at one point that I should not attend the class.
I was hurt, having assumed that I was above average intelligence to have graduated out of University. But my good trait of being hardy to snide comments and my determination to prove otherwise to myself strengthened me.
I signed up. On the day of creating the website with WordPress, my classmates were at least 20 years younger than me. The disparity was so obvious.
Some mates were asking me why I wrote down notes on paper while all of them typed on their laptops. I loved the feel of paper, I said but it was just that I am from a different generation.
I do not make a lovable student because I asked too many questions. And then I jot down the answers for equal measure.
I sensed that some younger mates became a little impatient. Most seemed to go along fine with the lectures, what had happened to me? Does aging slow one’s brain so badly?
Nevertheless, I plodded on. In my confusion, I could not really get my website set up while some created a lovely webpage with links and all.
I am glad that I have the iron will though my skull must be made of iron too since the teaching did not permeate into my brain. I would ask more questions to figure out later if I did not get the answers.
I am driven by Socrates’ thoughts. I love his following quotes
An unexamined life is not worth living.
One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing.
There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.
As the workshop progressed into the night ( we started at 10 am) and it was nearing midnight, I marveled at my instructor’s passion. Well, at least that is something I could take home with me That is the passion of learning and teaching.
I sat through 2 agonizing days and found out that there were a few, younger classmates who were also lost but they did not question.
We have to battle out ourselves, no one to blame as there were people who did fine. Maybe they were already IT savvy.
My persistence led me to come back over the weeks to seek clarity. I wanted to sign up for the repeat class but the idea of 12 hours was too much for me.
Fortunately in those weeks, I managed to get hold of my instructor’s partner who was stationed outside the lecture room on some days and evenings to answer queries. He sorted out all my hiccups. And of course I did more note writing the old fashioned way to make sure the concepts stick.
Eventually, my website was running and I am very happy with the new skill acquired.
I went on to create another website for my dental surgery. My colleague told me she paid 5 figures to have her clinic’s website created. My engine has been oiled, it shows that one has to keep practicing to perfect a skill.
Though my websites need sprucing up, the foundation has been laid. A new world has opened up for me.
Just yesterday, I asked a question to a friend who knew I had learned website creation. I showed her my URLs and she was quite impressed.
I asked her if her clients needed a website presence and she asked me to do her company’s first. That was a great start.
In times like this, I am very happy to be given a chance to diversify and what I have now is time to spruce up my skills further with Google and YouTube, the perennial teachers of the modern times.
Last year, I went on to learn e-commerce under the same instructor and struggled some more among young people. I am in the process of setting up an e-commerce store.
My learning gear has been started and I can only say that the future is looking very bright!😉🤓
My point is, be a continuous learner. We never know when the skill acquired would come in handy. Even if it does not, it is a skill that can cause our brains to think in ways outside our set careers and make us relevant in today’s changing world.
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