This week author, teacher and master learner Alison Acheson is writing about continuing to learn throughout life. She’s choosing the music too. I’m doing the illustrations and notes at the end. —Jeff
One.
I wanted to take dance classes as a child, but my parents refused. It didn’t fall in step with their religious beliefs of that time.
If I was five right now, my 86 year old mother would say “yes” and “take me with you!” (What do I now say “no” to that will change? Why don’t I get the jump on that?)
I took ballet in my mid 20s with the money I saved when I quit smoking. But soon the money paid for groceries.
I took a women-only, partner-free ballroom dance class mid-40s. We giggled.
That made me push: I signed up for ten months of jazz/modern, and at 46, floundered in a room with three nubile young women. A+ for persistence. F for Floor-rolling.
I was teaching in a university at the time. But being a student teaches me, always, to keep balance, to be on the edge.
I stumbled into a flamenco class; the history called to me. The thought of dancing in caves, hiding from persecutors, appealed. F for Flamenco. So much brought to you by the letter F. (See Tuesday’s post.)
I put together the being persecuted + hiding in caves + making noise. The perversity. You’ll never clap the same after taking flamenco.
Make noise in your cave. Maybe dancing and singing and clapping makes us sound bigger than we are: the puffer fish approach.
Puffer or not, learning keeps humility real.
Two.
This image is about being. The baby elephant is being curious. The frog is being hungry. The fly is being in the air for its last few moments of life.
Three.
Piaf, for when I need the reminder to put my heart into what I do.
Look at the faces watching her, and the closing seconds when they sing back, and her happiness.
Alison, thank you so much for sharing with us this week! Your posts have been an absolute delight.
You can do this writing thing too. If you want some help, Alison is there for you at the Unschool for Writers.
Tomorrow is FEYNMANSPLAINING 1!
Grow slowly
Jeff
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Alison, bravo’ pursuing dance. I did also and still enjoy getting my groove on, usually while cooking to tunes. I’m French so my Gran introduced me to Edith. Thanks for the memory of that. Edith impressed me as a compelled human that was a needed songbird of that era. To capture an audience the way she did with pure elegance and grace was such a gift. I am meditating your line, learning keeps us humble. That’s so lovely a truth. I’m learning to travel with the weather now. What are you learning that is humbling? It’s a hard word to negotiate but give it a go!