I consider myself a life-long learner. When computers arrived, I immediately volunteered to learn the software.

Books about foreign places and travel were the novels I’d check out of the public library. I read “Black Beauty” and believed I knew everything about horses.

I never go on a trip without reading the travel guide, and I can recite useless trivia about some of the places we’ve visited. Want to know about the back roads through Yellowstone National Park? I’ve got the answer.

Self-help books are some of my favorites, and I’ve learned a lot about organizing, housekeeping, child rearing and improving personal relationships from the pages of a well-written book.

But it’s time to admit – there are some things I have no interest in learning.

Whether that’s a product of my baby-boomer age or being retired, I have little interest in broadening my horizons in the following areas. I’ve seen videos telling people that they need to do these things immediately.

First – how to change the filter in the dishwasher.

I grew up in a family of seven children, and our dishwasher ran at least once a day. I don’t ever remember looking for a filter in the bottom of the dishwasher and cleaning it.

That roll-around dishwasher lasted for years, so trying to take my current dishwasher apart to get to a filter in the bottom – which I can’t even see – doesn’t interest me at all.

Same goes for the washing machine filter. It’s at least 25 years old, and clothes come out clean.

I also don’t care if I ever change flat tires.

I know how the process works.

I know where the jack’s located.

My solution to solving road issues is belonging to AAA. When I had a flat tire a few weeks ago, I called the toll-free number, a nice mechanic came out to where I was stranded, changed the tire and I was on my way.

I also have no interest in learning how to do my taxes. I’m fortunate that my husband reads the tax manual for fun.

I humbly relinquish all my Uncle Sam responsibilities to my much more qualified spouse.

My laptop’s convenient whenever I travel and when the grandkids come over. Right now, it’s running a little slow, and I’m sure I’ve gummed up the works with stupid downloads and having too many files on the desktop.

I have no interest in learning how to defrag the laptop or download a program to diagnosis the problem. I will leave that to people who are up to date on computer issues.

Becoming a complete moron isn’t my goal either.

There are things I’d like to learn.

I’d love to know more about the women who paved the way for my generation. Not just the ones mentioned in the first couple of paragraphs in history books but the lesser-known ones who made positive impacts in their communities.

Even more importantly, I’d like to know more about the women in my family. The few tidbits I know reveal women who, when handed tough blows, rose to the occasion and excelled.

There will come a time when I’ll have to learn how to handle tires, appliances and computer issues. But until I have to, I’m going to put those learning lessons on the back burner.

Knowing the difference between having to and wanting to, I believe, still makes me a life-long learner.

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.