Friday, November 19, 2010

"I've Always Wanted to Learn to . . . "


I have a long list of things that I’ve wanted to learn to do. The problem is finding the time to do them and/or someone to teach me. Well, a few weeks ago I finally got to scratch one item off my “I’ve always wanted to learn to . . . “ list. It all started at our church’s women’s retreat.

During dinner, several ladies were talking about knitting and crocheting. Diane and Marion were both working on projects for the homeless; Diane was knitting scarves for them and Marion was creating ropes made from plastic grocery bags and crocheting them into sleeping mats (the process alone is amazing). I’ve wanted to learn to knit and crochet for years!

“My grandma taught me to crochet over wire hangers when I was a kid,” I piped in. “But that’s as far as I got.”

“I can teach you to crochet,” Marion said. “It isn’t hard at all. We can meet for an hour before choir practice.”

We started that week. While I started out feeling like I’d never get it right (I have a beginner’s sampler to prove it), I quickly caught on and am officially hooked. Last week I made a set of six coasters and now I’m working on a scarf.

In addition to the fun of learning a new skill, my weekly lessons have provided a very peaceful respite from the busyness of my everyday life. Instead of teaching others (Did I mention that I’ve been teaching a writing class through a community college enrichment program?) I am the one growing and being taught. I am learning a craft that is not only enjoyable, but useful. The coasters and scarf will both be Christmas gifts for family members. On top of all of this I am getting to know Marion, which is such a blessing!

So what is on your “I’ve always wanted to learn to . . . “ list? What is stopping you from giving one of those things a try?

Make your desire known. You might discover that you are sitting beside someone who is willing to teach you.

Seize the opportunity. When you get the chance to achieve a goal (or at least test it out), go for it!

Enjoy the benefits. A sense of accomplishment is only one of the many rewards of learning something new. Pay attention to the many others, like how it allows you to make new friends and step out of your ordinary world.

So again, what have you always wanted to learn? And what’s stopping you?

2 comments:

Marti Pieper said...

I seem to have less time and more to do than ever. But for the past few months, I've had a desire to learn to knit. Make that "re-learn" because my grandmother taught me the basics years ago. No doubt this interest has something to do with all the novels I've read that feature knitting. As long as I don't express a sudden desire to go Amish, my husband will probably be OK.

Thanks for the post and congratulations on your newly acquired skill!

Julie Garmon said...

I love this! I blogged about this very thing over at Woman-to-Woman for Guideposts. Am wearing my first scarf today. :-)