642. “What Would You Like to Learn on Your Own?”

In response to The New York Times article “650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing.”

 

642. “What Would You Like to Learn on Your Own?”

 

I would like to learn to be humble.

I would like to learn to be less vain.

I would like to learn how to help more people.

I would like to learn how to write clearly.

I would like to learn how to tell a story in French and in Russian a joke.

I would like to learn how to connect with people along the way.

I would like to learn how to know when someone is lying, or learn to not care about it.

I would like to learn how to listen better, and to remember better, and to remind others.

I would like to learn how to organize a rally, would like to learn on my own what people cared about, so we can cut to the chase.

I would like to learn how to sing. I would like to learn how to dance. I would like to learn how to paint. I want to celebrate life, and I want to learn how to do the things that people do to celebrate together.

I would like to learn how to think on my own, to take risks on my own, to weather storms on my own. I would like to learn how to be there, to know when to be there, when others need me, even when they don’t admit it. I would like to learn how to give people space, why I should step aside. I would like to learn.

I would like to learn on my own the meaning of life, at least one I can stick to, I would, I would. I would like to learn on my own what it is like to go through a black hole in the center of a galaxy, something like that. I would, yes, I think.

I would like to learn what you want to learn. I’m tired of feeling separate. I’m tired of being passed. I would like to learn what it is I’m supposed to be doing — don’t you? — because it seems we’re only ever doing good when we’re helping one another. I would like to learn how to do more of that.

But if it came down to one thing, I would like to learn how to help people feel happy, to make our lives as beautiful, despite everything, and sublime, even if for a moment, as laughter or tears of joy.

 

That is all.

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