Contact author Janis Weller for seminars, workshops, course development, and
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Source: http://www.elisioninstitute.org/article-olddog.html


Old Dog — New Tricks? Absolutely!
Janis Weller

In 2001, well into midlife, with one son in college and another on the brink, I left my responsible job and returned to graduate school to pursue longstanding passions in human development, psychology, brain research, education and assorted other fascinating topics, focusing particularly on music, musicians, teaching and learning.

My quick summary of that experience? Awesome. Magnificent. Incredibly stimulating and energizing. It is possible that education may indeed be wasted on the young. With no disrespect toward intelligent and earnest young students everywhere, it is just a radically different experience returning to school after many trips around the block. So yes, I found my personal fountain of youth in school, and, importantly, I also received lots of support for my midlife endeavor (especially from my dear, patient spouse). But when I would tell people that I had returned to graduate school, it was also not uncommon to hear a rather condescending comment like, “Welllll, goood for yooouuu,” making me feel like some sort of ancient anachronism. So, in support of feisty and curious Old Dogs everywhere, I’d just like to say that, yes,

You can teach an Old Dog new tricks.

In fact, Old Dogs can be pretty good at new tricks.
An Old Dog can put the new trick in context,
look at it in relation to her experience with previous tricks,
imagine new ways to approach the trick,
or perhaps completely different tricks that might work even better.

Old Dogs are curious and questioning about new tricks.
Old Dogs can consider the relationship between the tricker and the trickee,
along with the future potential of others being interested in new tricks.
Old Dogs can see the global interrelationships between various tricks and
may be able to attract and inspire others around new tricks.

In short, where “New Dogs” often simply learn a new trick for the trick’s sake, Old Dogs will connect a new trick to every other trick they’ve ever learned, observed or imagined.

We Old Dogs don’t need to settle for “sit,” “stay,” or “roll over.” The broad perspective and deep insights of a life lived create a fabulous foundation for new learning of any kind. So if you are an adult who is considering dusting off that old oboe or pursuing your lifelong dream of playing the piano or cello, I encourage you to embrace your Old Doggedness and just do it. Ahh-oooooooohhhh!

Copyright 2004 Janis Weller. All Rights Reserved

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