Not very many months ago, Andrew woke up from a good night's sleep and announced he needed to learn to play the bagpipes. Just like that. So he did the research, found a group and asked if he could have a look. Looking turned into wild enthusiasm, wild enthusiasm turned into the purchase of the required chanter, and the purchase turned into daily practice. His only regret, he says, is that he didn't start sooner.
There comes a time when we all think that: I wish I had done something earlier in life. For me, that wish is that I would have liked to write a moderately successful novel. Nothing flashy - just a masterly crafted, well thought out, gripping tale of intrigue, grounded in a rich tapestry of well rounded characters' lives. Luckily I don't take myself too seriously, and can chuckle at such grandiose ambitions. I am happy to scribble stories into soft cover A5 notebooks which I chuck away when they are full.
But the concept of You Are Never Too Old to Learn is an excellent one. I remember the awe I felt when I was involved with adult literacy and I watched people who had been denied an education determinedly and patiently tackle letters and sounds until they could read. The age group ranged from thirty to eighty, and the stumbling blocks (economics, home language, work and family responsibilities...) gigantic. But determination is a great empower-er, and that is worth remembering.
Being open to learning is perhaps one of life's greatest skills. It requires a healthy sense of self, so we don't feel we have to go around proving ourselves or always being right. Or always knowing. I wish the education system taught the art of questioning in the curriculum. I would have benefitted from that as a teenager. And as an adult.
Some questions we need to ask are not just about how things work or gaining skills. Some are about the why and wherefores of human behaviour. Starting with the self, of course. I want to know where I fit in the world, and who I am in relation to you.
Andrew's bagpipe group spends time socializing after practice. This give the experience a wholeness, I think, and this camaraderie is crucial to the learning process. He is still on the chanter phase - the bags and pipes will follow in due course - and he can knock out quite a few recognisable tunes. I am looking forward to following his progress, and will, I promise, post a photo when he reaches the full regalia stage. I think a kilt will suit him.
As for me - well who knows. maybe after a good night's sleep I will one day know exactly the plot of my unborn novel. And I will need to write it. In the meantime I will make a list of all the other things I wish I had done earlier, and see how many of them I can tick off in the coming years.
