Happy Learning - Ep. 416

Happy Learning is about finding the simplicity of a subject so it’s not something you hate, This starts with first breaking it down to its most basic forms, it’s okay to start slow, Don’t get hung up on having to be complex, if you understand the basics, you're doing great, And then it might click for you and you’ll want to keep at it and see where it, and you, can go. [full text below] Ep. 416 - Happy Learning We begin as always with the Happy Creed. We believe in Happy, in Balance and Growth, of being Mindful and Grateful, Compassionate and Understanding. Yowza Haha My Happy Friends! I like to learn new things and then share the things I’ve learned, Sometimes I share those things with myself in case I forget, So it has to make sense to me first, as far as I’m concerned, But if I get it well enough to teach myself, then it’s no sweat. When I was a kid, I didn’t really pick things up very quick, I figured I must be slow and so I readjusted my life to match, But then when I got to my late teens things started to click, I finally could take subjects I liked and so I rebuilt myself from scratch. But even after I actually got into college and made the lofty Honor Roll, I still never lost the feeling of all those years when I thought I was dumb, So I took my time to make sure I understood things completely, as a whole, And once I did I could then convert them into simple rules of thumb. No matter how complex the subject, if I could take my time, I could break it down, And if I could do that, I could fully understand it backwards and forwards, inside and out, Whether it was physics, poetry, computer science--you name it! I could go to town! And then I could teach it to others, if it was something they cared to learn about. Like, for some classes, we had to read stories from hundreds of years ago, I’m talking like four-hundred, six-hundred, even a thousand years ago or more! And if you think your parents talk weird compared to you--you don’t even know! It’s like learning a foreign language and it took me forever--talk about a chore! But once I read all the footnotes and the study guides and it finally made sense, Then I realized why people still liked those stories--they’re good, and funny, and deep, So, I went to class excited to delve into them, expecting the debates to get intense, But instead, nobody said a word! All my work was for nothing! It made me want to weep! But rather than waste my time in dull classrooms, I decided to share what I’d read, So, I told my classmates that I’d tell them the plots of the reading, so class could be fun, So, they sat on the carpet in the lobby outside the library, and listened to everything I said, I told them tales of adventure, scary dreams, lasting love, and everything else under the sun. They sat cross-legged, their chins resting on their fists, all shining eyes and smiling faces, And then, the next time we had class, they all chimed in, and the teacher was delighted, It made for an engaging discussion, everyone was animated and we were off to the races, Because they were informed, and in a simple way, so they could get it, and be excited. Did I dumb it down for them? I think I just made it clear, really, and it made it fun for me too, Like, if you have to learn a dead language just to read the homework--who’s going to do that? And for most of them this wasn’t even their major, so really not something they were going to do, Which meant I would’ve been doomed to painfully silent classes that fell completely flat. So, what’s the lesson here? What am I reminding myself about, and for what? Is it that you’re smarter than you think you are? That education can be fun? Am I revealing my outlook on life, that you can go with your head, and go with your gut? You know, probably a little of all of those things because who’s just one thing? No one. Like me, I like to read now, but sometimes I get lazy and would rather watch TV, I like to write, to research, to discuss, but I also like games and a really good nap, You can bring creativity and play into your study subjects, you can let them be free, Education doesn’t have to be painful, because then you’ll dread it and that’s the trap. I’ve studied all sorts of subjects across every discipline of science, philosophy and art, And I’ve always tried to bring some playfulness to it, and teachers have responded well, This is their life’s work, after all, their calling, their passion, they love it with all their heart, And the way you catch a glimpse of that is by simplifying, and turning it into a show-and-tell. Happy Learning is about finding the simplicity of a subject so it’s not something you hate, This starts with first breaking it down to its most basic forms, it’s okay to start slow, Don’t get hung up on having to be complex, if you understand the basics, you're doing great, And then it might click for you and you’ll want to keep at it and see where it, and you, can go. Haha Yowza