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February 17, 2006
Senior Moments
I seem to be talking about older learners this week, but I find that's an area often overlooked. Perhaps it's because we often think learning stops with the end of formal schooling, 12th grade or college graduation. Sometimes we might take a class for work, but whoever thinks of grandparent-aged folks learning anything new. I do for one.
My office happens to run Adult Education. I have watched adults of all ages come in to learn welding, tole painting, computers, or photography. One Saturday a couple years ago I visited a computer class where the youngest participant was 63!
A few months later a wonderful lady stopped by my office. She had a present for me. It was a lovely hand painted plate with a picture of one of the high schools from the county. The school had been torn down years ago, but her family had this plate and she wanted me to have it. What was even more interesting than the plate were her comments.
"I want to thank you," she said. "I'm taking a psychology class at Butte College, and I'm getting a B. It's my second class at Butte College, but I wouldn't have been able to take it without having taken a couple of Adult Ed classes. I was so afraid to go back to school and those classes really helped me know I could."
Of course I was delighted that we could have helped her, but it was
her last comment that got me. "By the way, I'm 72!"
All I can say is I want to be like that when I grow up!
Posted by Dr Joni at February 17, 2006 06:22 PM