You, the Expert

I know many experts.  I have friends with cooking expertise, exercise expertise, teaching expertise, spiritual expertise, and parenting expertise.

They read, they study, they take classes, they interview others. These folks are wise. 

I call them all the time.  Just this morning, my sister, an education expert, talked me through my stress about my daughter’s kindergarten assessment.  Yesterday, I called my friend, a cooking expert, to ask the proper technique for storing or freezing my scads of garden basil.   Then I talked to another friend who knows how to counsel me through spiritual questions. 

I even have bug experts in my life.  I place emergency calls when weird looking insects attack my tomatoes.
  
A vibrant mind continues to learn.  Interesting folks, I read, have at least 5 topics they study.  As they age, they continue to grow in these areas, accumulating wisdom.  And then they teach others.  Normally, I think of expertise more narrowly.  But why not journey towards more topics? 

If I had to choose five, I’d pick subject areas like prayer, writing, teaching, parenting, and marriage.  Maybe I could make these more specific and pare down each category into 5 subcategories.  At that rate, I will have things to learn and do even in my 90’s.  Maybe I could assign a decade to each topic so, for the next 50 years, I’d have ways to grow.

My husband does this with his passion for history.  The 30’s? Revolutionary War.  The 40’s?  Civil War.  He spends 10 years reading everything he can on a certain historical topic.

This is why we have so much to talk about on date night. He doesn’t experience that strange land called Boredom. 

Living with flair means I study to become an expert.  Maybe for this year of flair, I could expand my topics beyond semicolons and dashes.  Maybe I could become an expert in Italian cooking or dressmaking.  I’m on my way.

I want to have passion and growth until the day I die.


Share the Post:

0 Responses

  1. I certainly do not consider myself an expert of anything – but I LOVE the concept of “having passion and growth until the day I die”

    This summer I took up the hobby of photography. I have always believed in capturing and preserving family memories, but have always relied on my trusty point and shoot camera. This summer I have delved into the scary world of the digital SLR. And while I am making lots of mistakes and have yet to take a stellar photograph, I am sure having a lot of fun 🙂

  2. I loved your post today, Heather. I do am not so much interested in becoming an 'expert'. Knowledgeable is more the word for me. I can't seem to narrow it down enough to put it in the 'expert' department. There would not be time. This year I am pursuing a long time dream to live in another country of my choosing. I haven't lived in another country since my 30's. It was time for me to explore and stretch my boundaries again. I am learning Spanish. I am studying intuitive painting and playing with assemblage. I'm having fun. I will have no problem keeping myself in trouble 'til I die. Oh – and I'm on a spiritual quest – which will be part of my life for the rest of my life. Keep on blogging – it's a great read. Donna from Gist

  3. I agree that there is always something to new to learn in life. I think it's so important to have a curiosity and love of learning to be happy.

    Your mention of semicolons and dashes made me think you might enjoy browsing my site on English language usage: http://www.grammarerrors.com.

  4. Molly, I'm impressed with the photography! I want to learn how to take great pictures, but I know I have to spend the money on a great camera first!