"You Is Gettin' Learned"

It's 4:30 a.m. and my wife is just leaving for work. A few times a week she has to be at Whole Foods by 5 a.m. We have coffee together, and then off she goes. In our conversation this morning we were talking about Charlie--an elderly man of 95 or 96 who is a member of my congregation in Florence. He's an avid fisherman and is taking the time to teach me how to catch some trout because last year the only thing I caught was a chair (it was mine, by the way--it fell off the dock and into the water). Charlie's a great guy and very intelligent and active.

Commenting on the fact that he's coming up here tomorrow (the beginning of trout season) to take me fishing along the canal, Chris jokingly said, "You is gettin' learned." I want to be clear that that's not the way Charlie talks and she wasn't making fun of anybody, she was just reflecting with delight on his good natured insistence that it is actually possible to teach me the art of catching trout. His is a generation that believes in great possibilities since they have lived through some pretty difficult times. As generations have since been influenced by better times in some ways (although I don't want to go too far in that thought), some of us, myself included, have been less inclined to think along those lines.

Anyway, as one who desires to be more creative and able in certain areas of life, the fact that Charlie believes so readily that I can be taught a skill that I have never been very successful at is an inspiration in itself. I'm not saying that I can become a great fisherman or photographer or artist or writer, etc., but there are things I can actually learn to at least do better. And those things could enhance my life in some very meaningful ways. The fact that I'm semi-retired is an advantage, but even before retirement, the possibilities were still there. However, I would often dismiss the idea that I had any hidden abilities to any degree--that is to say, that I was teachable.

I don't think I'm alone in that. I believe it's a fairly common way of thinking. And yet, I'm excited about learning how to do something new and properly even though it seems completely unfathomable to me. Charlie's willing and kind spirit makes me realize that there are possibilities for enhancing my life that I have far too quickly dismissed as out of the question. So if any of you see me standing behind an easel with a pallet and brush in hand or at a craft show trying to sell my latest creation made out of pine cones and egg cartons, at least stop by and say "hi."

Chet Atkins, the great guitar virtuoso, once said: "Approach [your] guitar intelligently, and if there are limits, don't deny them. Work within your restrictions. Some things you can do better than others, some things you can't do as well. So accentuate the positive."

With that in mind, I can't wait to taste those fresh-caught trout tomorrow night!