As You Grow Older, Are You Still Interested In Learning New Things?

Discussion in 'Education & Learning' started by Ken Anderson, Sep 23, 2022.

  1. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    :p, I awoke a ouple days ago with one almost 60 years old in my head, 'Last Kiss'.

    Jake can't stand that song, and I liked it ok, Hurdy Gurdy that is.
     
    #61
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2023
  2. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    I'm intrigued by the pyramids and history, both ancient and recent. And Biblical science.
     
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  3. Hedi Mitchell

    Hedi Mitchell Supreme Member
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    I am with Jake hate that song, and not sure why
     
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  4. Gary O'Dan

    Gary O'Dan Well-Known Member
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    'New things'
    YouTube has been a great venue for me to 'learn how' with many things

    But
    Anymore, seems most my time is taken up teaching young people old things
     
    #64
  5. Ed Marsh

    Ed Marsh Very Well-Known Member
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    Good morning to all-
    I plan to keep on learning new things on my deathbed- and even more right now when I'm not there yet.

    In the past few years I have learned to fly drones, take back up my archery, and now I'm learning to fly small radio controlled airplanes. there is always something different to learn about and to try. Every year I learn something different about my gardening and fruit trees.

    Learning doesn't stop till you hear the gravel hit the coffin lid.

    you all be safe and keep well- Ed.
     
    #65
  6. John West

    John West Very Well-Known Member
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    Ancillary to learning new things is re-discovering old things you used to enjoy doing. Recently rummaging in the basement for some shoe trees, I came across a backgammon set I last used in 1979. It was one of those "use it or lose it" things where I'd forgotten how to play but remembered that I enjoyed the game and wasn't bad at it (earning a good deal of the pocket change we played for). Now, I am looking forward to both getting back into the game regaining some skill and finding some folks to play with. With the crap; weather and motorcycle in the shop, backgammon looks to be yet another bright spot going forward this winter..
     
    #66
  7. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I played backgammon quite a lot in the 1970s too, but haven't played it since.
     
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  8. Silvia Benoit

    Silvia Benoit Veteran Member
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    Ed Marsh,

    I totally agree.

    In my other country we have a saying "To bed you will never go without having learned something more."
     
    #68
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  9. Caitlin D Burnside

    Caitlin D Burnside Well-Known Member
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    No, not really! It seems that nowadays, I want to go back to what I used to do in my younger days.

    Therefore, daughter and I have been getting back into a few sports we once enjoyed.

    ARCHERY
    I've been doing that since 4 years old. I'll be celebrating 60 years of Archery this year. Woohoo! Recurve always. Back in the days, Papa made all his bows and arrows by hand from wood leftovers from a local wood mill.

    Current equipment, takedown recurve 60". Arrows we just target practice so they need replacing. I gave lessons to my three musketeers, husband, son and daughter. We're in a club now. Returning after Valentine's Day.

    ARTS AND CRAFTS

    We've contacted a women's association to join, waiting on reply. Planning to get back into macramé, crochet and more.

    BATON TWIRLING
    Still on the search for a group of dancers, but the one expected, the lady owner is currently ill and the studio is closed. Very sad!

    Finally, keeping up with swimming and skating.

    Maybe I'd try fencing but no clubs close by... So, who knows!
     
    #69
  10. Denise Evans

    Denise Evans Supreme Member
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    I love learning, I feel if I stop learning new things, I stop growing.
     
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  11. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    After I retired, I built a few things for the home. I've never done much woodworking, but managed to built this mantle from internet plans:

    IMG_20140622_074325917 resized.jpg

    I wish I hadn't exactly followed the plans. It's a little "squatty" for the space.

    I also built wall-mounted pedestals for my gargoyles, and needed to cover the rough edge from the semi-circle I cut out. I've never bent wood before (but saw it done on TV furniture repair shows), so I got out my steam cleaner and a section of pvc pipe. I secured the pipe to the steam cleaner, tied the trigger down, shoved the piece of trim in the pipe, and let it steam for awhile...and awhile and awhile and awhile. I was finally able to get the piece of trim wrapped around the outside edge of the shelf. It's not showroom-quality, but it got the job done:

    IMG_0185 reduced.jpg

    Maybe those are more along the lines of "try anything once" versus "learn something new."

    I bought a bow when I first moved here but haven't messed with it much. @Caitlin D Burnside's post has inspired me to get the thing out and learn a new hobby.
     
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    Last edited: Feb 9, 2024
  12. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    I didn't have a steamer when I wanted to bend wood for making dog sleds back in the day, so I discovered I could wrap a damp towel around the wood to be bent, wrap that again in foil, and put it on the wood stove with a low fire. It worked fine for my purpose.
     
    #72
  13. Jacob Petersheim

    Jacob Petersheim Very Well-Known Member
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    Lately I have been finding old skills that I now realize I never really had down. So I've been revisiting some of them after a long period of"slumber" and finding that I have a real knack for some of them.
     
    #73
  14. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    What wood did you use? And why would you invest your time doing that when there must be sleds available for sale, or makers who would barter? In the spirit of the thread, was it
    for the pleasure of the experience? It sounds like something I would do.

    My issue with the trim I bought at Lowes is that it twisted a little when bent, so rather than try to plane it (or to bevel the rim of the shelf), I just filled in the gap on the top of the shelf. Since I painted the shelf (rather than staining), it worked out fine. As I said, I am not a woodworker.
     
    #74
  15. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    Why do we do anything when we can just buy it. We used white oak because that was what was available, and I wanted to build a sled in the old style--wood that is tied together for flexibility and toughness. We did use plastic on the bottom of the runners for durability. There was an old man who built sleds this way and he donated a sled every year to Junior Iditarod kids. Most of the sleds for purchase are made from plastic and aluminum, and the warmth and aesthetics just aren't there.
     
    #75

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