Hopefully with age comes wisdom. I don’t think I am any smarter today at age 66 that was at 26 or 36; I think I have learned from many experiences, some good, some bad, some successes and some failures. I certainly have many more questions than answers. I think the key is continually learning. It really is an attitude, a mindset, you can learn from anyone and any situation. I try to learn from everyone I meet and from every situation. I guess in many ways it is more about acquiring wisdom than knowledge. Sometimes there is an almost eerie feeling of déjà vu, like I have been there before at other times it is like an unexplored territory. It is funny that in both situations it seems I inevitably call on my experiences, I search back through the memory bank to remember what I did before or in the case of uncharted waters what is similar in my past experiences that can help me make a wise decision. Then make the decision; don’t look back, no regrets, no second guessing move forward. Evaluate later and keep learning, keep acquiring experiences. Get outside your learning circle; seek people with diverse ideas and experiences that will challenge you. The key is to keep growing, to never become complacent. Is it easy- no way, it is easier to sit back and rest on your laurels and think you have it figured out. If you do you are done. I see people who have done this, it is not fun to be around them or watch their interaction with other people. If you do what you have always done you will get what you have got- not good English but good advice. Just like Guy Noir, private eye on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion we must keep trying to find the answers to life’s persistent questions – onto the next question.
