On the Edge

On the bubble. Finding the point of discovery. How does one find that?

By doing it. By stretching one’s own abilities. And how do you do that? By purposefully attempting to do something you never have done before.

Like a mysterious road on a country afternoon ride, taking the path unknown offers the chance of discovery. Sometimes it is fun; often it is just blah, but the ride along the way offers value. Destinations are hoped for rewards, but they often disappoint.

I remember road trips where one discovery led to another. The unfolding of one vista upon another truly delightful. Another curve unveiled a sweeping scene of farther mountain ranges and deep valleys. An occasional town popped into view, too; sweet, contained and somehow inviting. A visitor or an alien invader? Some villages are like that; enticing but forbidden. I wonder why?

A project comes to mind. What if we did such and such? What would be the value? What would it lead to? What skills do we need to do it? What would happen if we just did it?

We’d learn what we don’t know. We’d find gaps in our experience. We would fill those gaps with something and learn even more. In the end we would have more experience, more understanding, and realize the voids of life are infinite. From that we gain confidence to do it again – engage the unknown for whatever it has to offer.

Reacting to unmapped stimulus stretches our ability. In that instance and for future ones. That is how we learn. Teaching is the act of learning in the minds of others; each mind is different; each act of stimulus is experiment. It is the experiment that teaches. The teacher guides each student on a path of singular discovery. That is a gift. And the gift keeps giving. It requires both the teacher and the student to be in a bubble that is both insecure and safe. Safe to find; safe to not know; secure in surroundings open to change.

On the cutting edge or in the bubble. Both offer views of the possible.

September 19, 2018