Reason # 16 Each COURSE is also like a foreign country visited

Yesterday we talked about visiting Foreign Countries.

Well, I think taking a course—or stepping into any new subject, is also a bit like crossing a border into a foreign land...



You arrive a stranger, unsure of the language, customs, and landscapes.
At first, everything feels unfamiliar. Ideas sound strange.
Concepts seem distant, even a little intimidating.

But slowly, as with travel, you begin to understand.
You learn the rhythms of the subject: its logic, its stories, its hidden beauty.
You start to speak its language—not perfectly, but with growing confidence.
You make mistakes, but each one teaches you something vital.
You get lost, only to discover new paths.

The subject becomes part of you.
Not just what you learned, but how you changed while learning.
You carry it with you, like memories of a city once wandered:
the challenge, the awe, the quiet pride of having arrived
and made it your own.

And like all good journeys, you return—
not the same as when you began,
but expanded, wiser,
your mind marked with the passport stamps of curiosity.

And ultimately a well-deserved certificate, like a gleaming stamp in your passport.

The mark of a journey well travelled!


Today I want to show gratitude for all the subjects I have studied in my life:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Social Work
  • Philosophy
  • Ethics 
  • Theology
  • Biblical Studies
  • Dogma
  • Exegesis
  • Liturgy
  • Interreligious Dialogue Course
  • Metaphysics 
  • Esoteric Studies
  • Greek
  • Hebrew
  • Afrikaans & Nederlands
  • German
  • Verhandeling: Grenslektuur
  • Dissertation: ECC
  • Dissertation: Community Colleges
  • Afrikaanse Kultuur Geskiedenis
  • Counselling (Pastoral & Youth)
  • Counselling (Marriage)
  • Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Course
  • Life Coaching Course 
  • Wedding Officiant Exam
  • Commissioner of Oath Exam
  • EEiii
  • Lifeline Course
  • Ordination Exam: United Life Church
  • Honneurs Berading
  • Lecturer/ Facilitators Course
  • Assessor Course
  • Moderators Course
  • International Moderators Course
  • ABET
  • TEFL
  • ECD Practicum Facilitation
  • NQF Framework
  • Course Mapping: Green Energy Studies
  • Curriculum Development: Borderline Compulsive Disorder
  • Master Dissertation: Community Colleges as Qualification Institutions focusing on Lifelong Learning
  • PhD Dissertation: ATOM/ Alternative Training Obtaining Methodologies.
  • DOS Computer Course
  • A+ Computer Course
  • Mouse Microsoft course
  • Excel Macro Course
  • Business Management
  • Master Management
  • BNU Marketing Course
  • INTEC Gourmet Cooking Course
  • INTEC Hospitality Course
  • Nortje & Associates Special Application Course Andragogy
  • KarMicheal Advanced Study Methods
  • SADF Commissioned Officers Course
  • CEF CMI Teacher Trainer Course
  • ISO 9000 Certification (M&E)
  • Plastic Recycling Modules
  • HR & Member Care USA Course
  • .... 


Each subject becomes part of you indeed. Like a place you've lived in—not just visited. And when it’s over, you return… changed. Not just with knowledge—but with the quiet pride of growth.

Every subject is a country. Every learner, a traveler.

"Where will we go next?"


03 June 2025


LINK:

LINK to Landing page with LINKS to other "REASONS" posts


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reason # 1 LIFE is always worth CELEBRATING

Image
The 60!  (For TODAY's installment, scroll down to the bottom and click on the link in blue) Turning 60 is Special Turning 60 is more than just a milestone—it's a celebration of wisdom, resilience, and life richly lived. It's a moment to pause and reflect on decades of experiences, lessons learned, and relationships nurtured. At 60, you've likely faced and overcome challenges, celebrated triumphs, and grown into a deeper understanding of yourself and the world. Sixty is special because it's the age where confidence often meets clarity. The uncertainties of youth have softened, replaced by a grounded sense of who you are. You've earned the right to say no without guilt and yes with conviction. There’s a freedom in this stage of life—a chance to pursue passions, share knowledge, and shape a legacy with intention. It’s also a time of connection. Whether through family, friends, or community, turning 60 reminds us that our most meaningful moments are often shared....
Read more

Reason # 2 House Rules & STORY TELLING

Image
The Gratitude Journey Journal This is going to be quite a journey— which I intend to keep super short at times, because this is not the book YET… ha ha! ( As if my life is really interesting enough to write a novel about.) Still, life is always    a precious gift, and I do have quite a few stories to tell... Once, when I asked my children to give a one- sentence summary of how they see me, they said: " Jy is ' n storieverteller, Pappa!" Well, I can’t fault them on that one, because storytelling is an integral part of my life. Maybe it started back when I was a teenager, and the favourite storyteller to my siblings’ young kids. The briefing was always the same and always short: " Ons gee vir jou ' n sin, en dan moet jy die res vertel..." And so, many a story began. Funnily  enough  (or sadly even)  , I told fewer stories to my own kids. Instead, I played make- believe  with them. Once I  even built a whole Fairytale  storyboard— complete with a...
Read more

Reason # 3 Each life is a GIFT - whether you are a "BONT", BLACK or WHITE sheep

Image
  One of the 60 things I daily celebrate, is the fact that every life is such a gift - hence I  don't really fancy the celebrity culture of our age very much.... Instead I rather want to CELEBRATE each life! Because I think that each person is a gift to the world. You carry a talent, a gift, that is just right for what the planet needs at a time like this - YES YOU!!. Hence, I don't believe in clever or less clever people - I think we are all talented with the right attributes, in the right measure - we have within us all the "things" we need for the story/experience (#SoulReasons) of this lifetime... Each life is a quiet miracle, sacred not for its visibility but for its very being. In a culture that elevates celebrities and public achievement, it's easy to forget that worth is not measured by spotlight or applause. The teacher who shapes young minds, the nurse who soothes pain, the neighbor or friend  who shows kindness, the engineer or manager or data analyst —...
Read more