The world is your school!
Through the conditioning of centuries, we have become accustomed to thinking that education can happen only in a school or classroom. We have forgotten that experience is the best teacher. We have forgotten that the whole world is our school, and learning can happen anywhere, everywhere, and all the time. It can happen either consciously or unconsciously, however, if we are aware of it, it can be of immense help in our lives.
A small story: An elderly lady had a middle-aged live-in companion who had not had much schooling, only primary education. A sudden viral infection sent the old lady to the hospital and her helper had to spend a week in the hospital by her bedside. The family was worried she would up and leave her job saying this was above and beyond the call of duty, and the hospital, however clean and expensive, was not supposed to be her place of work. But they were in for a surprise: the helper’s reaction was unexpectedly positive – “My mistress has made a nurse of me!” she said, laughing. “I have learned so much in one week about how hospitals work, who does what, how to watch the drip, how to summon help, how to listen to doctors on their rounds, how to go and eat alone in a canteen, how to keep you all updated… I can easily manage any hospital patient now!”
When we look at every experience as a gift to expand our knowledge and our understanding of the world around us, we get better equipped to make decisions about our own lives and of those who are dependent on us. As infants all of us begin our learning journey by observing and listening and imbibing from our surroundings, but somehow once formal schooling starts, we get transformed into passive, open mouths that are spoon fed morsels of knowledge!
The playground, the dinner table, an errand to the grocer’s, a walk with a friend, a visit to the park, helping your mother in the kitchen, re-arranging your cupboard or room, spending time in the garden, waiting in a queue, attending a wedding in the family, a visit to the bank, there are ever so many fertile avenues for learning! It’s all in your outlook.
So, live in the moment, observe, absorb, and stay receptive. If the world is our school, then while there is life, there is learning, so learn on!
