Learning...

Hi Readers,

This post might lead you to think I'm sniffing the incense again, but relax, I'm not.

After reading that opening statement you must be thinking that I AM actually taking something hallucinogenic, or illegal, but trust me, I'm not !!!

It all stems from a phone call I was having with a very close friend from my home town the other night when I mentioned to him that a nurse who I had only briefly met two weeks earlier greeted me by my first name as we crossed paths outside the hospital where I visit daily.

He just said to me, "There's a lot we can learn from that", and since then I have been thinking a lot about the way we learn things, what we learn, who from, where...the whole 

lot !!

Most of you would know by now that learning is my occupation as I'm a teacher, and over the years I have done a lot of study on the way kids learn, and how we can hopefully make learning a valuable experience. 

For us as well as them.

Well, this post is more about learning in general, rather than learning at school, which is where many people tend to think is the only place where learning occurs.

What have YOU learned today? Anything?

I'd confidently say that most of you would automatically think or say "Nothing" or "Nothing much".

Now take some time to think more deeply, and I'd confidently predict that your responses will change. You might not have learned something dramatically new that you want to sing to the world about from atop the highest mountain (bad luck if you live on a flat expanse !!)

You may have learned things about others, or yourself that you might not like and would rather keep them private. I'm just suggesting that all the things we learn need not be super happy things that make us want to hold hands with someone and skip around the back yard.

But, on the other hand they could be, and that's just great !!

Many things we learn by choice, meaning we go out of our way to discover something either through necessity, interest or any other multitude of reasons.

I know I discovered how to reattach the front end of a Honda Accord after one of our sons had a slight bingle in our driveway a few years ago.

Thank You YouTube 🙏 !!

What I want to discuss here today are the little things we learn by chance, and often we have no control over them.

As you read through some of these (if you haven't checked out or fallen asleep already 😴 ) I'd be hoping that you are already thinking back over your day and discovering..."Yeah, he's actually on to something here !!"

Here we go...

Some of the things I'm going to mention aren't exactly rocket science, but when they occurred they immediately made me think about what had happened, and how different the outcomes may have been if I had acted or responded differently. Surely that's learning about myself ??

Just this morning as I entered the hospital and joined the queue to have my vaccination certificate checked, and then do the mandatory electronic signing in, it soon became clear that the workers doing the checking were a tad flustered, and the line was about ten times longer and slower than usual.

As I stood in front of the QR code to take a photo for my check in, an older man got cranky at me as he thought I was pushing into the queue when in fact I was just trying to get access to the QR code which he was blocking. I excused myself and ignored his muttering, but I could see that he was still peed off with me as I then went and joined the queue behind him. As we waited for 15 mins or so to get to the front, the tension was clearly there as he didn't want to be near me !

We eventually parted ways once we entered the main foyer of the hospital. 

A few minutes later, I made my way through the corridors that take me to the specific lift that goes to the Ward I go to daily. Who do I see wandering around looking lost? Yep, this man and his wife.

I heard him say to her "We'll never bloody well find this ICU place", to which I replied, "Sir, come with me, I know how to get you there as it's on my way" (I'd been going there daily for more than 4 weeks recently).

They got in the lift with me and on the way up I was able to tell them where to go on L.evel 6 and all was well. We even had a chat about where were from and as it turns out they were from regional Victoria and his wife was born in Bendigo.

It then struck me that they had probably left early this morning, travelled for a few hours and upon getting to the hospital the system was down and that would have added to their angst. Then getting annoyed by me didn't help !!😖 Going to ICU isn't pleasant at the best of times, so at least I hope that I helped to make things a bit calmer for them before they visited whoever it was they were going to see. We left on very good terms.

So what did I learn from this?

When he got cranky at me for what he saw as 'pushing in', I could have easily snapped back at him and had an argument. What would be the point of that? I felt like doing that I can assure you, but boy am I glad I didn't after I found out later more about their circumstances. I knew nothing about what may have happened to them leading up to our encounter, or what may have eventuated afterwards, and if I had a blue with him I would only have made his day worse than it needed to be.

I learned that sometimes ( or most times) it's just best to take a chill pill and not try to escalate things for no real reason. We just don't know what other people's stories are, so why do something that potentially could be a tripping point for them.

I sincerely hope that he went away feeling happy that someone helped him out rather than feeling angry about the argument that could have happened earlier.

The power of greetings.

It is soooo easy to walk the streets, do your business in shops and encounter people and give no recognition to them whatsoever. Especially here in Melbourne.

Yesterday I thought I'd try something different, and just make an effort to acknowledge people more. I'm not suggesting that I walked down Elizabeth St saying hello to each person.

That would be weird and I'd probably get locked up !

I just planned to make the most of any opportunity to acknowledge others in just simple ways (without coming across as a weirdo !!)

Case 1 - As I left my accommodation, there was an old Asian man crossing the road at the same spot where I was crossing. He looked up once or twice at me , then looked away. The next time he glanced at me I just said "Good morning" and smiled. What I got back was precious.

His face lit up and he gave me the happiest reply.

That was it. Nothing else happened and we both went our seperate ways.

BUT...I'm sure we both went our seperate ways feeling upbeat and with a spring in our step.

What did I learn? The power of just saying hello.

At the supermarket last night the young boy on the checkout was doing a great job getting through his customers, but I could see that he was under pressure, and that customers were just glaring at him as he processed their purchases. I just felt so sorry for him as here was someone doing their best, and only getting brickbats back from the customers.

When I got to him I did the "Hello, how are you" and he looked surprised when he looked back at me. Maybe he was expecting yet another grumble ?

I just said to him that I thought he was doing such a fantastic job and you would have thought I'd given him a million dollars. As he then processed my purchases he engaged in some small talk and he was just lovely to be served by. He even wished me a very happy evening as I left.

I'm not sure what his next customer was like, but I'm sure that he would have approached them in the same positive way if only he was given the chance to do so.

I learned that it is so important to value everyone no matter what they are doing. When I speak with checkout workers, or the people manning the check in stations at the hospital, they tell me that they get regular abuse. We hear it in the news constantly, but to hear it from the actual people involved makes it even more real.

They haven't made these rules, but they cop the abuse. So, rather than join the abusive minority, jump on board and become part of the appreciative majority. It just feels good to do it !!

Also from this week, something so simple that someone did for me that meant just so much. It was the simplest of gestures, and this person probably doesn't even know they did it, but the impact was real.

Another hospital visit and some treatment was being done that wasn't comfortable to watch.

I think one of the nurses in the room sensed this, and as she walked past me she just rested her hand on my shoulder for a few brief seconds, as if to reassure me that all was well. And it worked. Nothing got said, as it didn't need to be said, but I just knew that someone in that room knew that some support was needed and was able to provide it in the simplest of ways.

What did I learn ? 

Sometimes I think we try and over complicate things to the point where we don't know what to do, so do nothing. Keep it simple if it works. It can be just a kind word, a reassuring look, or in this case just a gentle touch. Or sometimes just nothing but being able to listen..We just need to feel confident and capable in knowing what to do and when.

How about this one.

Regular readers will recall the post where I wrote about CYAN (Change Your Attitude Now), where I spoke about how I needed to change my attitude when I was out walking as I'd let other pedestrians get me frustrated.

A colleague had told her class about this, and this week she found this written on her whiteboard at the end of the day.

One of the kids had written it there so that it would be seen by everyone as they came in the next morning.

Knowing this person and the relationships she builds, I'm sure it was successful.👏

We can learn so much from the simplest and most obscure sources.

Who can say that they've never learned anything from examples such as these...

• A line from a song ?
• A pet ( don't you just admire dogs as they just love you unconditionally? As for cats, the jury is still out on that one !!!)
• A scene in a movie?
• A comment from a toddler or child - they can be brutally honest can't they?
• Something you see on the street - eg a young child watching ants on the footpath, an old couple sitting having a cuppa together, a frustrated parent trying to control a screaming child, someone just daydreaming etc.
• The feeling of warm grass under your bare feet- does it bring back just great memories?
• Random smells ( not he ones you are thinking of 💨) that take you back to childhood memories
• A random comment, just like the one from my close friend that prompted this post
• Writing a blog !!! I can assure you that I have discovered so much just from doing this.
• etc

So Readers,

As you can see, more fluff and waffle from me, and if you have lasted this long, all credit to you !! I just hope that you can see where I am coming from, and then you too might become more aware of the things around you that cause you to think and learn more about yourself and others.

As always, comments below are most welcome!!

Until my next post,

Cheers 😁