“Why in the flying freaking nuggets are you going to school for a Master’s and a Ph.D?”
“How the heck do you write and read as much as you do?”
“How crazy do you have to be to like school?”
The main point: Why do I like to learn?
As I progress towards earning my bachelor’s degree in English and my minor in Women Studies, I’ve come to recognize that learning is not a level to get to or an achievement, per say. Learning is a way of life, a constant state of being, and a really beautiful way of thinking.
It’s impossible to know absolutely everything and I’ve always struggled to understand where that puts humanity. In Western culture, it’s common to think that there is a “right way” or a time where you eventually know “enough.” But really, it’s impossible to know everything.
I don’t say this to be negative. Being in a constant state of learning is simply a state of being accepting of information and constantly using this to better your world view.
Something I’ve learned through my religious journey and my academic career is that the process of learning something is humbling, inspirational, and full of discovery. Essentially, this recognition has lead me to believe that this inability to “know everything” instead opens the door of having the ability to be constantly learning and progressing.
So where does this leave us?
With this capacity to constantly be learning, humanity is given the opportunity to be constantly progressing. The marvelous thing about this, is that knowledge comes in many ways: spiritual journeys, academic careers, creativite outlets, regular communications, business interactions, athletic practices, and so on. This diversity allows everyone to learn something and to progress in their own unique way.
Personally, I know there will always be things I can improve on. I’ve learned this through dance, church, and school. But needing improvement should be viewed as having the opportunity to improve.
In relation to writing: I suppose I share my own understanding of knowledge and the journey of learning through my novels. For me, writing novels is the creative written communication and conversation of my knowledge with the world.