Bytes Of The Learning Bug

"I am celebrating," I said over the noise of the pitter, patter raindrops, as I paced up and down in the portico of my house while talking to my daughter Prerana over the phone.

"Celebrating what?" Prerana asked me in surprise because there was no special occasion that day.

"It has been one full year from the day you asked me to learn something new, instead of feeling frustrated over getting cooped up inside the house."

"See, already it is one year and I am sure it hasn't been that bad."

"Not bad at all. In fact, it has been great in a way. Can you believe I completed 9 online courses in the last year?"

"That's so great! Technology can do wonders Amma, if you get to know how to adapt to it" the computer science engineer in her never missed an opportunity to highlight the advantages of the technological advancements and their positive impact on human life.

"Guess what Amma? I feel so very jealous of you now. I am slogging away out here day in and day out and you are happily doing online courses and reading what you love all the time. I wish I could be in your shoes" she chirped away in that fast-paced cadence of hers. I could very well imagine the frantic movement of her hands as she uttered those words. 

My girl has always been like that. A bundle of energy! Since the time of her father's passing away when she was barely ten years old, it has been only the two of us sticking to each other in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad times.

When Prerana expressed her desire to study in the USA, some people advised me against letting her go. They said hardly anyone returned from the USA, and I should think twice before sending my only daughter so far away.

I didn't pay much heed to those voices. First of all, I believed that it's my daughter's life and she was capable of making decisions about her life. Secondly, I didn't want to deprive her of her dreams for such a selfish reason as that.

Off she went and you can bet she is thriving. After completing her Master's, she landed a great job in her dream company and is exploring the world and its richness through travel, now that she is financially independent.

"So what is the one most significant thing you learned out of all these courses?" Prerana quizzed me in her usual style.

"Of the courses, I have many. Since I also read a lot of recommended books from the course material. There is one thing this Corona pandemic taught me though."

"And what is that?"

"That we should never let a good crisis go waste."

"That's so very true and profound Amma."

"That's what Winston Churchill's said while forming United Nations after World War II. I realized the importance of these words now more than ever. Thanks to the pandemic, I got stuck inside the house. Because I got stuck, I got bored. When you nudged me towards online learning, I never knew they were so good. It has been a life-altering experience for me."

"Am so glad you took it up so very earnestly, Amma. But I am sure you chose free courses, mostly?" she asked me tongue in cheek.

"What mostly? All of them were free. You know I am very much a middle-class Indian in that respect" I replied.

Both of us laughed. After I hung up the phone, I reminisced over my online learning journey over the last year. Right from the personal benefits of mindfulness, to the practical ideas for minding a successful business, they offered a bouquet of courses for free. 

Like a monkey that found a new toy, I hopped from one course to the other exploring their diverse universes, from the 'science of well-being' to 'financial markets', from 'philosophy' to 'physical exercise' and from 'creativity' to the 'science of success in the modern business world'. I would learn how we live in an interconnected world, not only in our external universe but within our own physical, mental and psychological selves. I even learned how to learn tough subjects through a specialized course on that topic.

Many a time, I would stare in wonder at the profiles of the professors of these courses, not only because of their enviable long list of achievements but also because of the humility and empathy they seemed to exude. One particular Nobel Laureate amongst them bowled me over with his great sense of humor in addition to his knowledge and impressive pedigree.

I found kindred souls amongst the online learners, some of whom were busy pursuing their hobbies and interests while some others were focused on upgrading themselves for better opportunities for work; yet others were in search of newer pastures as they got laid off from their previous jobs. Whatever was their motive, it was undeniable that these platforms treated the world as one, true to the Indian philosophy of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" offering more and more courses free of cost during the pandemic.

Charity, friendship and knowledge sharing come in various shapes, colors and forms. I am glad I experienced it through the cold touch of metal on my fingertips within the warm comfort of my home from some of the greatest minds from across the globe. Having experienced the positive side of the bytes of the learning bug during a raging pandemic, I have no intention of getting debugged from it.

This true story is dedicated to all the life-long learning enthusiasts out there.