Learning Self-Analysis

I once thought of myself as a slow learner. My friends and acquaintances seemed to have knowledge and experiences unknown to me. I now realize I was a sheltered learner. My sensory input was limited. What I saw, read, heard, and even did, was limited to what my parents, teachers, preachers and even my spouse, thought I should experience.

Reading, which once seemed restricted to school books, the Bible, and parenting books, became an adventure to a new life. I acquired new desires, dreams, goals and thoughts. I developed a can-do attitude instead of a ‘wait-and-see’ approach to living. Instead of spending countless hours watching television, I checked out books from the library. In waiting rooms I would

select magazines with unique articles and short stories. Reading has brought about a greater open mind.

My hearing improved. Not that there was anything wrong with my ears – I just wasn’t listening. I was tuning the world out instead of experiencing it. There was a whole world outside school, church and babies crying. I began to listen, really listen, to the storie...