Campus Life

Where did you learn that?

Have you ever wondered where you learn things?

As I prepare for finals week with projects, exams, and the inevitable event of saying good bye to friends, some only for summer while others until time allows us to meet again, I have been having the same question pop in and out of my head. Have you ever wondered where you learned something? By something learned, I am talking about the little things such as what to do if a light bulb breaks while in the socket, if your toilet is over flowing with water, or in my case having the string on the bottom of my khakis fall out.

Over spring break, I bought a pair of khaki pants that can be transformed into capri pants by simply pulling up the pant leg and tying them string around your knee (I know this may sound funny but I assure you that they are anything but funny). As I went to tie them one day last week, I was unable to tie them because the string came out. Like any other college student, I just tossed them aside and continued on with my day, settling on a pair of jeans. Later that night I asked my roommate Tori if she knew how to fix them, after replying no, I figured that I would just let them sit there, unworn, until summer came and I could just get my Mom to fix them.

My other roommate Erica had a Modern Dance Consort last weekend so her family came up to see her dance in her last show. While her Mom was sitting at our kitchen table, I figured that I would bring my pants out to her just to see if she knew how to fix them. I learned something from her this day that I will remember for my life. She took a safety pin, attached it to the string, and fed it through the holes, fixing my pants in less than a minute. I had asked her where she learned this, and she just replied with a “I’m not really sure. I think I just saw my Mom do it while I was growing up.”

Ever since Saturday, I have been thinking about things I have learned and where I had learned them. From watching my Mom over the years, I have learned how to cook. People will ask me how I made something because they want to make it one night, but I don’t know what to tell them for measurements. I just kind of look at it and if it looks like what my mom would do, then it is ok. If not, then I add more until it looks right. My Dad taught me about using a potato to get a broken light bulb out of the socket and from watching my Grandfather, Uncle Chet and some common sense, I knew how to mix concrete to fix and apply concrete to a big hole in the side of my staircase back home.

So, sit back and think about the things that you know how to do. Where did you learn them? Then after you figure that out, think about what you can pass down to watching eyes.

As for my pants, if they lose their string again, I now know how to fix it. Thanks Mrs. Riley.