Unpacking - aka Take Time to Digest What You Don't Know You've Learned.

By débora Ewing
photo by Margie Summers
I had a really great week; now that I've had time to wash and put away the clothes, all the new data input is gelling for me.

Like an onion or an ogre, there are several layers to unpeel here. Let's try chronological:

A week ago today I was flying home from an excellent if brief weekend with Moe. We need a few days of face-time to unpack all we discovered, and that's just not going to happen any time soon. We'll do what we can.

Over the weekend I met with my book club and discussed the differences between the John Nash Equilibrium and the Pareto Principle. How revenge or punishment can be used to enforce later collusion. The difference between collusion and collaboration.

I shared some of my photos with one of my favorite clients, and he taught me how to Instagram. He's lived life truly and knows things, and he likes my work (both photography and hotel reservations.) He's an old guy, which just goes to show that you don't always need a 5-year-old to understand technology.

I spent tonight  with my stellar writing group. Tonight's meeting provided several one-liners which I'm sure will be useful in the future: 
"Since I'm not terribly sensitive to people, I was looking for more ambiance..." - Barney the Mathmagician
"...what tonight we're calling ambiance..." - Joe 
"It reminded me of a big piece of IKEA I had..."   - also Joe, describing someone else's short story
"If the writing were bad, this would have been perfect." - Thierry, on the same story
"I've heard drummers that were less consistent," Guitar player Tim, same story.  
I hung out at my pool hall with the Michigan Guy and made a couple of new friends. I also played a full set of Miles Davis on the juke and another of the Clash, drank Bulleit Rye and didn't piss off anybody. I call this a win.

There was really so much more wisdom dispensed tonight; I can't share it all because I'm still digesting. 
I love the the awkward beauty of the digestion phase in life - I really, really do. 
If you learn nothing else from me, please learn to look for these moments. The process of learning is the most beautiful thing I've ever found.

Go exploring with the realisation that you will not know what you learned until later: even if you don't share your discovery with me, I'll be happy because you did it.

Further Reading:

Joe Strummer
If you want to impress me, be able to tell me some history. Clash On.




Comments

  1. MariWednesday, 29 August, 2018

    I never know what I have learned until later, MUCH later, sometimes years later. Sometimes I just have to wait for another situation in which what I learned is relevant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. débora EwingWednesday, 29 August, 2018

      Exactly! That's what this blog is for...so when I figure stuff out I can tell y'all!

      Delete
  2. MariWednesday, 29 August, 2018

    You have almost 20,000 page views, Amazing Woman!

    ReplyDelete

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