The capacity to learn new things is really amazing to me. Especially during this quarantine period. So far I’ve learned how to code a little more, produce a podcast, and accept I am going to be asked to take care of a booger in the middle of a conference call. Many times I get stuck in  the rut of being willing to learn, but not having enough will or discipline to try something. But following a recipe is a good reminder that learning a new thing doesn’t need to be grandiose.

 

With a simple recipe the instructions are basic enough to follow, there is clear success or failure, and the stakes are pretty low. Of course there is room for improvisation and sometimes the right ingredients happen to be missing which create problems, but generally baring these bothersome issues, the potential for a sense of accomplishment is relatively high.

 

So today I made pretzels using the Joy of Cooking as a guide. It turns out this process is much longer than I expected. I have a greater appreciation for Gordon Foods and although the book says these can stay good for 5 days they lasted about 5 minutes.

 

If nothing else, I am hopeful others will see their capacity to learn more things. Maybe art history. Maybe how to tell a story. Maybe how to ride a bike. Maybe how to stay still.