Learning

Early in April, I wrote a post on what the world would be like if we all retired at the same time. Of course, that ain’t gonna happen, but an increasing number of my peers tell me they’re ready for their pitstop or gap year.

In this recession, many Boomers are busy brushing up their Slack and Instagram skills, doing their best to stay relevant. Maybe there’s another newly discovered skill that has even greater upside?

In six short months, the world of work, travel and interpersonal connection may have changed forever. Covid has forced the entire world to find new ways to connect for work and play. It is now a daily practice to use Zoom, WhatsApp, Facetime or Google Meet from our desks, bedrooms or patios.

Back in October, I wrote this blog post on why lifelong learning was an abstract concept that needed a physical home. This kind of adult learning seemed to be a DIY thing: it’s your responsibility to figure out how to adopt a beginner’s mind to allow curiosity to become your elixir for life. But, it didn’t feel like it was taking hold as a foundational way of being in adulthood.

The whole MEA library is full of books that speak to the way of transition, but there’s one particular section called “How can I evolve?” that best captures the navigation of midlife transitions. William Bridges’ trailblazing book “Transitions” is there, but so is this book written twenty years later by Bridges which has the subtitle, “Embracing Life’s Most Difficult Moments.”

When I was 22, I got caught in a revolution in Venezuela. Caracas became the most violent city in the world with more deaths every day than anywhere else, including war zones. It was a scary place to be.

Pick your poison. The Game of Life, Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, or Chinese Checkers? All four have odd histories and all could be considered a childhood metaphor for life. Monopoly was introduced in 1935 to give Depression-era Americans the impression they could get rich within a couple of hours.

When you hear the word “Mastery,” what comes to mind? For me, it’s the warriors at the Jedi Academy, learning how to recognize and harness the force within them. I also think of opera singers, concert violinists, and Ph.D. candidates.

Aretha Franklin’s 1985 hit song, Who’s Zoomin’ Who, defines our new normal. In an era when worldwide stock markets are in freefall, the price of Zoom Video Communications has nearly doubled in the past five months. Worth just $1 billion as a private company three years ago, it’s now worth $30 billion.

I was deep in the desert this morning riding bikes with friends; I have been mountain biking poorly for about 30 years now. My head was filled with lessons learned while balanced over two wheels, above rocks and cactus, at the edge of cliffs, out in nature.