Classes I Have Taken

In an email exchange, a friend jokingly said that he was going to take an Evelyn Wood Speed Reading course.  I informed him that I had taken one.  I learned to focus my eyes on the middle of the page, pick up about 4 words, and remember very little.  It is great for reading mediocre novels.  But, our correspondence got me to thinking about classes I have taken.

I took a summer sewing class when I was about 12 which resulted in a burgundy and green plaid skirt and green shirt that I wore to my first day in 7th grade....along with the bobby socks I spoke of in an earlier post.  This was a foreshadowing of what 7th grade would bring, but I was be-bopping along in my cloud of vagueness and did not pick up on the signs.  It was a rough year.

I have taken basket weaving (I have 1 basket), calligraphy (hand-writing unimproved), hand-made paper crafts (a red and green paper bowl I put out at Christmas and a distorted reindeer ornament).  I have taken art workshops and drawing classes.  I took a flower-arranging class, entered a competition, and won the tri-color.  I was in 4th grade, and my mother made me do a 3-bears arrangement by telling me it was "required." The 3 bears was the hardest form we were taught.  I won because no one else's mother cared enough to manipulate their child into doing that particular arrangement.  She was president of her garden club.

I took a real estate course, passed my real estate exam, and never sold or even showed a house. 

Like most girls in Nashville, I took a White Gloves and Party Manners class. I believe my post on embarrassing moments speaks for how wonderfully I excelled.  I took Social Dance in a class with a male to female ratio of 1:8.  The girls all prayed that they would not draw one of the boys with which to dance.  They stepped all over our feet.  But, always dancing with girls resulted in a social dancer who has to lead.  "He who wishes" is not impressed with my leadership skills on those rare occasions when dancing is part of our social scene. 

I took a woodworking class when I was pregnant with my daughter.  That resulted in a set of wooden blocks (blocks are possibly the easiest project possible for a woodworker) for my son, and several wooden, hand-painted (a return on those art classes) Christmas ornaments.  I did learn how to use a band saw, lathe, and belt sander.  I, however, have very little opportunity to display my vast knowledge on these tools.

I took a glass-blowing class in Galveston, TX with my son.  We made paper weights (one can never have enough hand-blown paper weights) and marbles (ditto on the need for marbles).  My son even made a vase, but I did not advance that far.  I blew a little too hard into the pipe and mine exploded.  The best return on that class was the time spent with my son...oh, and the tropical storm that blew in. That was my first time to see rain literally blowing horizontally. 

I took yoga once.  The gentleman next to me blew an air biscuit (thanks to my brother-in-law for that descriptive phrase) with every new pose.  I found that extremely unpleasant and thus I never returned.  Like most women my age, I have taken aerobics classes.  One time two friends and I went to a local church for class.  We arrived, 2 of us in our husbands' shorts and t-shirts, to find a class of tiny, buff creatures in spandex, leg warmers, and fancy headbands. Their enthusiasm was high ~ ours, not so much.  We suffered through class doing an assortment of "dance" moves accompanied by yelps of enthusiasm with each new move.  We even did a sort of country western move that pantomimed the swinging of a lasso while doing a fancy little side step.  So cute.  Toward the end of this endless class, the bouncy, enthusiastic teacher did her lasso move (or so we thought) one more time.  My friend, Marlene, and I followed suit.  There we were just side stepping and swinging that imaginary lasso with great enthusiasm, for we knew this was our last move before we could go home.  Sadly, we had not successfully interpreted the instruction which was actually an indication that we were to run a couple  laps to "cool down."  Marlene and I were laughing so hard that laps were not going to happen, but yee haw, we could swing a mean lasso.  We never returned.  I took a step aerobics class with my daughter once, and fell right off that step.  I never returned.

I have taken poetry classes ~ result ~ 5 love sonnets for "he who wishes," one of which rhymes the words liquors and knickers.  I keep waiting for the call when I am asked to serve as Tennessee's Poet Laureate.  I have taken numerous history and literature courses.  I even took Literature of the Civil War. 

Recently, I took classes in Conflict Management, Negotiation, and Mediation.  I learned a lot about myself and about how to deal with others.  I use a lot of what I learned in volunteer mediations.  What else I will do with that training remains to be seen. 

My mother has a motto.  I think Louis L'Amour has a similar quote ~ "Everything you learn is yours to keep."  Mom drilled it in my head, so I am trying to be a "lifelong learner."  I may not use everything I learn, but I sure am having fun in the pursuit.

So, for today, I wish you a wonderful and worthwhile learning experience, and

blessings