Are You Frustrated By Valuable Things You Have Never Learned?

We have all been there.  One day, you are in high school and you completely blow off a class or a lesson thinking, “I’ll never need to know this!”  Somewhere, somehow,  the time will come when you regret being so naive.  If you are one of these people, like me, who have had similar instances in your life, then you understand.  The kind of moments when you want to kick yourself in the behind for being so stinking oblivious…  Are you as frustrated as I am with never learning about some of the important things in life?

A Learning Opportunity Missed

As memory serves, I was sitting in Home Economics in front of my assigned sewing machine, discussing bobbins or something like that.  I distinctly recall feeling as though I was out of my element.  While my Mom sewed frequently, I had no interest in it whatsoever.  At the time, I was thinking, “There is absolutely no way I am going to make my own clothes from a pattern.  I will never need to do this again in my life.  I just need to pass this part of the class, and then move on to cooking.”

The Consequences

To say I was wrong is an understatement.  First, there are two words that I have attempted to permanently remove from my vocabulary:  never and always.  There are no two words in the English language that have created such angst in my life as those ones have.  I will never do that, or I will always do things this way.  Wrong, wrong, and wrong again.

So now, in this particular instance, I’m a 40-something Mom who has a rather embarrassing history of using hem tape to “alter” pants and curtains, and worse yet, learning to sew on a button at a cub scout meeting.  All because I was a stubborn, bullheaded, arrogant teenager who knew nothing about life.

Fast forward to today.  My youngest son tried on his suit for the upcoming Homecoming Dance and the pants are a bit short.  The nice man who sold it to us last year told me not to worry, when he grows there is a one-inch hem that can be let out of the pants.  Well, guess who is unable to make the proper alterations?  Me.  His mother.  Geesh.  Especially since this discovery was made one week before the dance.

Given the late date and the pants debacle, not to mention the full fall schedule of a 15-year-old (including soccer, marching band, and float building), what is a non-altering, non-sewing mother supposed to do?  Order dress pants off of Amazon.com and hope for the best!  I ordered two pairs, just to be safe!

Because I never bothered to learn to sew when I had the chance, I have had to pay other people to sew patches on scout uniforms and hem pants (hem tape was kicked to the curb a long time ago; not a good look).  My husband and I have rarely paid anyone to do anything around the house that we are more than capable of doing ourselves.  But sewing?  That now ranks at the top of the list with plumbing.  It’s absurd.

To be fair, my husband is much better with a needle and thread than me.  He has handled most of that in our marriage.  After learning to sew a button onto a shirt, I graduated to hand sewing.  As long as we are looking for function, I am okay at doing it (you know, if the bean bag explodes during a heated match of Corn Hole).  If it has to look pretty, I am definitely not your girl.

Learning Is A Lifelong Process

Fortunately, it’s never too late to learn.  It would be beneficial to know how to sew for many reasons, like making curtains for our home.  Luckily many people in my life would help me grasp this valuable skill, if asked.

There are many, many things I have missed because I zoned out in the classroom.  It’s funny because I took advanced classes and did fairly well academically.  Out of sheer curiosity, I have researched and studied a great deal in my adult life.  Doing so also helped to close the gaps between things in history that were missing.

Acquiring information is a critical element of personal growth.   I have been checking out our local Community College for adult education classes in sewing, photography, and so much more.  At one time, I vowed never to set foot into a school ever again.  How silly is that?  Now, lifelong learning is my goal.

Knowledge truly IS power!

Until Next Time,

April

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