I wrote a book recently about making choices in life that set a person on a path to follow. A few people choose a path and never deviate from it their entire life. It could work out well. They might win an OLYMPIC Gold Medal. Unfortunately, most that never deviate from their original path become good at whatever they are doing in a short time, and that stops the learning process available free to them in life. They also can get burned out or just plain bored and be unhappy with where they end up. Retirement is often depicted as sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch watching the world going by.

I believe a person should take advantage of every opportunity offered to them in life. How else can they find what they are good at and what they love to do. I have taken many paths. One I stayed on because I loved it. Teaching was my calling and became my life’s freeway, but I continued to constantly take side trips to keep learning.

There are those that believe you should change your profession/work every five years or so, to stay in a constant learning mode your entire life. You are not learning when you are repeating something you do well. I find I am not on either end of that pendulum. I am halfway from the center to both ends.

The pages in my book, Life According to Grandpa II, the world is a classroom well spent as a Wonderer, tells the story of many of my side trips. What fun I had on them and how important they were as classrooms in my school of life.

Take as many side trips as you can. The freeway you are on will lead you to many off-ramps for you to try. There is always an onramp ahead to get back on your freeway. Each side road is a classroom full of wonder for you to add to your map of life.

Strive to be the one whizzing by the porch, not the one in the rocking chair. It really is worth the effort; and the bottom line, as you as you gain the wisdom of many years, you can always do anything that you can still remember. That’s the hard part.