As I get older the one constant I notice is how little I really know. I have been to college, served in the military and was a school teacher, but my true scope of knowledge is rather narrow. In recent years I have taken to studying things that I used to struggle with. Things a bit more complex than I am used to and things that serve no real purpose at the present time other than the continued accumulation of knowledge and to exercise my aging brain.

   After completing my undergraduate degree in History I obtained a license to teach. At that time I was tired from the rigors of college and the course work required to get my teaching certificate so I coasted for about a year. I became restless and took up reading about some of my favorite subjects. It was at this time I was encouraged to apply for and was accepted into a program at The Mississippi School of Math and Science to learn how to better teach math. In the interest of full disclosure I must say that while I was a good student and graduated with highest honors from college, math was never my strongest subject. I took college Algebra four times before I was satisfied and passed with an A. In school, as a youngster, math confused and perplexed me and while I managed decent grades I never really grasped the nuance of numbers.

   This time something was different and while I gave it no thought at the time in retrospect I think I know what it was. First, the training was free. I would lose nothing if I did not complete the course, or master the material. Second, there were no grades. I only needed to complete the training to be successful. I completed the course work and took the state exam to be certified to teach math and only missed one question on the entire exam. I had conquered a fear and mastered the mystery of math! I believe now that it was the absence of the stress of economics and grades that allowed me to do this.

  What's my point? Well, besides not wanting to miss a chance to toot my own horn I am pointing out that it is never too late for us to learn and master new things that had previously caused us great consternation. I was over fifty years old when I completed that course. Since then I have gone on to study more advanced mathematics and I am starting to wet my beak with physics. Unencumbered by having to pay for a course I might not complete I can learn at my own pace in the absence of soul crushing, self induced requirements to be at the top of the class. I relax and let the information flow into my brain. Now I can take on the new challenges and push past my early fears and barriers.

  At my advanced age and career path I can take on new challenges. I am just as equipped as I was in my youth, maybe more so. Being over fifty I have years of experience and prior knowledge. I have developed discipline that I lacked in my youth. Now I can pick and choose what I want to study and how far I want to take it. So I say to you, go out there and take on a new challenge. Learn something new that you may have thought beyond your abilities before. Shy away from nothing and do not assume you cannot not grasp it. I am learning, and absorbing new knowledge everyday as I start over, over 50.
Some books I previously mentioned are listed again below. I encourage you to check them out.

Here's Looking at Euclid, Alex Bellos
The Dancing Wu-Li Masters, Gary Zukav
Mathematics, The Loss of Certainty, Morris Kline