Skating Uphill - August 2022

“They say that the most curious learners
make the very best teachers!”
– The Uphill Skater –

Back in the day, when I first graduated from college, my dream was to become a high school history teacher. With no money to finish the credential I needed, I decided to slum it and take a job for one year as a kindergarten teacher to save up. Needless to say, I fell in love with teaching kindergarten and did it for the next eight years until I got married and moved into a different life. There is a book called All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten, and let me tell you, it is absolutely true.

I learned so much from my kindergarteners based on their knowledge of all things, I felt I had become quite a wise person. I still think that and frequently go back in my mind to truths I learned in that time. The phrase “yearn to learn” still means the exact same thing to me, and I believe that teachers, and of course people in general, who want to teach others and share their knowledge with others, should be learners first and learners as they teach, hopefully growing with their pupils. You know, I mean this for everyone. The boss should be open to suggestions. Parents should teach their children, but also be alert for lessons their children are teaching them. I have certainly learned a ton from my kids. How about you?

As I have grown older, I still keep this same philosophy, and it has made me a happier and healthier person. I am a constant reader, particularly of health-oriented magazines and books. I subscribe to several food and recipe magazines, and I am always on the lookout for books about nutrition. Often, I will pick up a cookbook and only read the forward and the back acknowledgments. Just in those few pages, I generally find something new. 

As an example, I was reading in a magazine, (Prevention, 07/22) that there are five “Blue Zones” in the world where people seem to be healthier and actually live measurably longer. One was the Island of Sardinia where people still follow what we call the Mediterranean Diet, and big surprise, number five on the list was Loma Linda, an area in Southern California! Why Loma Linda, you may ask? Well, let’s learn this together: Loma Linda, California, is the home of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and where most of their brands of food are manufactured or raised. Most Adventists are vegetarians. Not only is there ready access to fresh foods in Southern California, but the vegetarian products they produce are sold nation wide. So, I really learned something, and I am sharing it back with you.

Please do read this issue carefully and think about those women who yearn to learn. Remember also that the best teachers are learners as they teach. By the way, years later, I actually did become a high school history teacher, and I loved that, too. If you don’t think that there are lessons to be learned from high school students, you are mistaken. 

My final word...If you teach, also learn. If you are curious, seek and always follow up. It is a big wide world out there and much of it is open to you. Your mind, your imagination and your abilities are not barriers, they are opportunities! Love, Judith

Visit www.skatinguphill.com blog for new recipes, daily thoughts and décor ideas. Also find reprints of Pink articles and shared comments. Blogging is fun and easy.

Judith Lawrenson is a former Hilton Head Island resident who has a huge heart and is loved by all who meet her. She has served and volunteered with numerous charitable organizations while living in the Lowcontry making an impact wherever she went. She and her husband recently moved to the wild hills of West Virginia to be closer to grandchildren. Judith is an avid sailor, a retired reading resource specialist, and a children's TV host whose local show originated from the Boys and Girls' Club. Judith is also a long-time seeker of healthy, happy living and a lifestyle dedicated to service to others, balanced with love of God and love of self. Check out her blog www.skatinguphill.com for fun info, recipes and nutrition ideas, current updates on nearly everything in the world, and lots of comments and opinions.

Though I do tons of research, and have done so for many years, I am not a doctor and I share only my opinions. I enjoy research and subscribe to several magazines and publications and read up on all new trends. I hope you do, too!