Life Long Learning

This evening I continued to work on my quilt. As my sewing machine hummed along, I enjoyed a precious couple of peaceful hours.

I am working on a difficult section of my project at the moment. It is the actual "quilting" stage, and I am carefully outlining appliqued hearts and stars with machine stitches. Because I'm a novice seamstress my stitching lines are a bit wobbly in places. I find the curved lines particularly difficult to manage.

As I struggled with my sewing, I thought about my days in the B.Ed. program at the university. In one class the professor asked us the question, "What is learning?". It was a terribly thorny question to answer. Tonight as I sewed I came up with a few thoughts in response.

I believe learning involves being willing to try something, even if the results are not perfect.

I have been interested in quilting for several years. However, this baby quilt is only the second project I have attempted. I finally realized that I can think about, read about, and admire pictures of quilts for only so long. There comes a time when I must get over my fear of failing, pick up a needle and thread, and try to make my own quilt.

Certainly, this quilt is not perfect. Imperfection is an inherent part of the learning process. With every stitch I am practicing a new skill. Besides, my baby quilt is made with love, and I intentionally chose a whimsical pattern that allows for a degree of imperfection.

There are many "homey" things I am interested in learning these days --- how to make a pie, how to bake things like cinnamon buns and fancy breads, how to plant a garden, how to can jams and jellies. I can't let the fear making mistakes prevent me from trying new things. The first few times I bake a pie the crust may fall to pieces. But I can practice, try again, and learn from my mistakes.

I practice piano nearly every day. It will take me hundreds of hours to prepare my repertoire for one performance --- my ARCT exam. Most pianists do not sit in front of the keyboard and play a complex piece perfectly the first time through. A wonderful performance requires many unseen hours of diligent practice.

If I am afraid of playing a wrong note, I might never attempt to play the piano. If I am worried about my yeast bread falling flat, I might never try to bake. If I am concerned that my stitches will be wobbly, I might never attempt to sew a quilt.

I am finally beginning to internalize the following truth: No one in the world is perfect. Even "experts" make mistakes.

I do not need the pressure of being perfect. Life is a lot more interesting when I am trying new things. My amateur attempts may be far from ideal, but at least I am making a start. I see it all as part of the process of learning.