Perusing this blog I find that the Lifestyle of Learning entries are amongst my favorites. They are definitely a trip down memory lane. They document significant events as well as fleeting areas of interest. Although those posts may reveal things about every member of our family, they primarily focus on the younger two members of the family as they were actively being homeschooled at that time. Times have changed. They have both graduated. Our family now consists of six adults, all trying to make our way in the world, trying to offer the world our unique selves, trying to find contentment and purpose and passion. We are all seeking knowledge and skills. We are all autodidacts. We are all partaking in a lifestyle of learning. So I am going to resume the Lifestyle of Learning entries that delight me so.
Typically I would share a week or two of our learning experiences and endeavors; however, because I haven't posted in so long I will give a broader overview of our family members and their lifestyles of learning. So, please, let me introduce you to my family and our lifestyle of learning.
My husband is retired and has had to adjust to life post-military and with medical issues that have impacted his daily functioning. In the physical aspect, his world is much smaller than it once was; however, his mental life is active and he nurtures interests that are all his own. He actively listens to and researches the history of classical music. History, in general, is a subject matter of interest; as is current events, policy and politics. He loves to cook. He spends much of his time watching culinary related videos, doing related research, and then taking that research into the kitchen. During the last two weeks he has spent copious amounts of time perfecting his roux, he has researched the distinctions between gumbo and etouffe, and has made both. It is an interest that thoroughly engages him and rewards the family simultaneously.
The oldest of the young adults, Christian, has finished pursuing his higher education goals and is presently in a transitional phase that is focused on how best to utilize that education, how to pay for that education, and life beyond school. After having lived in Washington D.C. and Seoul S.K., he has returned to our hometown. Beyond working to pay off that student loan and support life, he is acquiring new skills. He is learning to cut glass and pour candles. He is cultivating an interest in hiking and kayaking. He is tracking his finances diligently and honing the skills related to frugality and has taught himself how to maintain his 1999 Jeep Wrangler. He has a strong prevailing interest in history and geography and stays abreast of current events, political and geopolitical happenings.
My only daughter, Keegan, is an actress and podcaster and a project manager for a major company. She is on the board of directors of Above the Curve theatre, on the board of advisors for Outlier Podcast Festival and is a co-founder of the Black Arts Alliance of Southwest Missouri. The alliance just presented their first production and it was amazing. Keegan presented a spoken word piece that was powerful. Keegan's interests are broad and deep which helps fuel all of her endeavors. She spends copious amounts of time doing research for her podcasts and has taught herself some graphic design and sound editing. She also has interests in sociology, psychology, and true crime. She loves music and reading and baking and crocheting and harvesting veggies grown on her balcony.
Maceo is presently attending university in London; he is in his final term of earning his bachelors degree in acting. Maceo is also a singer and writer. Over the last two years he has been writing poetry and has plans to write screenplays. He has wide ranging interests to include a strong interest in sociology, psychology, and philosophy. He is a prolific reader; reading both fiction and nonfiction, contemporary and classics.
The youngest adult, Bishop, was slated to attend art school this past year but covid interrupted that plan. However, Bishop is an artist and covid can't interrupt that. Bishop is trained as a ceramicist but has spent hours upon hours painting; he explores the medium in his own way, as an outsider artist. He has had one exhibition and more are surely on the way. He also loves the culinary arts and works for a caterer. He is deeply interested in history and geography and science and music.
As for myself, I have training in sociology and psychology and in a previous life, of sorts, I was a marriage and family therapist and a sex offender counselor; however, for the last two decades I have been a stay-at-home mom and a home educator. In my current "life" I am not actively engaged in any of the aforementioned activities. I am in transition. I have been examining all that I've done, all that I've learned, all that I have found passion for and am seeking to integrate them. I am no longer a therapist but it has left an indelible impression on me. Although still a mother and still managing a household, no longer am I a SAHM actively meeting the daily needs of my children. I am no longer technically a home educator yet I have thoughts and experiences that jiggle around in my mind. I am presently seeking integration and a clear direction for this next portion of my journey. In the here and now, I have created three avenues for income production that consume a great deal of my time and energy but are helping me meet financial goals that I have. In the in-between moments I read and write. I stay abreast of current events- social, political, geopolitical happenings. I research history. I journal. And I read. One of my 2021 goals is to read four books per month. I am easily surpassing that goal. I have already read twenty-four books and am presently reading six books: a philosophical look at courage, a series of travel essays, a travel guide, a memoir and 'field notes' of a woman with dementia, an examination of the value of curiosity, and a compilation of letters from Roald Dahl to his mother. Lest you think that I am only reading nonfiction, I have read Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping, The Human Stain by Philip Roth, and Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak, among others. I am reading and researching and dreaming - working on developing a clear vision of who I am and where I am going. Blessedly, I am surrounded by interesting adults that have a plethora of abiding interests that challenge me and inspire me.
Altogether, we try to approach our world with a bit of curiosity, a sense of wonderment, an active seeking; that is our lifestyle of learning.
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