LEARNING CURVE? FIND TREASURES AND READ

A learning curve is not an excuse. I’ll repeat it, a learning curve doesn’t mean you’re stupid.

There’s room in class for another learner.

If it’s something new, you may feel a little stupid working it out, but that’s just navigating the curve.

Give it a few minutes and you’ll be an expert. How?

Read a book about what you’re stumped on.

Chances are good that you’ll find a book, a shelf, a whole room, to help lift the shades on what you’re interested in.

After all, writers pick a subject that drives them to write about it. Some are better than others.

If they are any good, their work will open a door.

Read About What Excites You

Is Elvis exciting?

He was Mr. Excitement at his concerts.

Not an Elvis fan? Are the Beatles exciting?

You’ll find plenty of scholarship, and souvenirs, on either one, Elvis or Beatles.

The trick is breaking it down, finding the right book, and settling in.

Like this:

For some people, Heaven is a good couch and a good book.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, there’s a book for you, maybe two.

Whether you dropped out in eighth grade to work in the woods, of went to school your whole life, there’s a book.

If It’s Special To You, Then It’s Special Enough

There’s a saying among musical types who pick up a guitar, or clarinet, or harp: The space between an easy piece of music and an impossible piece of music is called practice.

In the same vein, if a subject seems over your head, or feels too difficult, start in the place it makes the most sense.

Where is that?

Imagine an information gateway, a portal you walk through, a knowledge portal. Where would you end up?

Set the dials for this place:

It looks like a normal enough sign, but once inside all sense of normalcy ends.

You won’t need a book to understand who this place works. It’s loaded from top to bottom with the things you used to see at Grandma’s house. (Or your place?)

Every treasure and trinket known to man is there waiting for the spotlight.

From books, to knickknacks large and small, to ‘what is this,’ if you’re on the hunt, this is the place.

I asked the same question as anyone who calls themselves a ‘collector.’

That’s collector, not hoarder.

Is there a network involved in acquiring so much, so many of everything? Are there scouts in the community, across the state, around the world?

The boss said no, no scouts. Why? “I’m not smart enough for that,” she said.

“Just walking around makes me feel better about my garage,” I said.

A worker heard and added, “Oh, you want to see the garage?”

A Learning Curve Of History

How often have you walked into a place and felt the time warp?

This place is in Long Beach, Washington. It could be any town anywhere.

It could be in France before WWI. Poland before WWII. Atlanta before the Civil War.

It could be any junk shop, antique store, or tourist trap that got blown up and burned and we’ll never know what we missed.

Part museum, part thrift store, part collector’s paradise, the pictures in this post represent what has passed but not disappeared.

Like friends and family over a lifetime, objects and books have a special place, and this is one of them.

Take a good look and comment on what’s missing from your special place.

What do you need to complete the wall, the shelf, the trophy cabinet?

Find it, read about it, then tell the rest of us about your treasure.

Straighten out our learning curve.