“The doer alone learneth.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche

That’s the secret ain’t it, yeah? You have to feed your head.

You have to do it and you have to never stop.

I speak to my Momma a few times a week. I told her about writing this bit. She insisted on one thing. “Mention that your Dad got his Master’s Degree when he was 59.” He awoke, every day, at 3am. Momma said he was writing. He once told me a little secret; not a man very good at giving up secrets. He gave them up to me. “I’m really just making notes. I’m trying to feed my head. Fact is, I’m learning. Don’t ever stop that, Boy. You’re never done.”

It comes down to a lifelong duty to living. A duty to passion. Feed your head.

I recently started a farm with my lovely wife. Learning curve? Yeah. Jesus God, yeah.

I cannot believe how much there is to know. Chickens. Seeds. Water. Weather. Soil. Surprises. Then more surprises. I am not shocked at how much I needed my friends and how I’d need them for every stupid thing. Because they’re smart and I’m not. Plus a pickup truck. And, contrary to popular belief…I’m learning. Then things started to move for me.

Given that experience, which I’m still experiencing, I’m now going back to school. Once learning and education become a part of you, it’s quite addictive. I’ve been writing and writing and writing for decades.

I’m a songwriter and a storyteller. I often go home from work or the bar or wherever and write down what you said. Smarter people than me pay me for it.

I chose, for whatever reason, to pursue a degree in English/Creative Writing at UNM. Maybe just ’cause I can. Maybe because I have a lot to learn. There is also something about education that provides feedback that I’ve been missing for quite some time. Don’t get me wrong…I never listen. But it’s still comforting to hear.

There is no reason to not be educated. I’m quite plussed at how incredibly behind me the professionals at UNM are. My first meeting with my adviser, Dee Dee, was fascinating. She got in my face for a bit. I sure gave it back. Then we got the giggles. Laughed like hell. I left with, “Thank you Ms. Lopez.”

“You call me Dee Dee.”

All of this is a part of my endless education.

It all appears impossible from where I stand. Un-freaking-possible. An endless Go! Go! Go! Well, that’s a crock. It’s all do-able. It comes down to a lifelong duty to living. A duty to passion. Feed your head.

Photo courtesy of Jim Phillips.