7 1/2 habits

This is a picture of my granddaughter, Gracie. Which is not what this post is about, but her, um, "expression" pretty much sums up my feelings about the 7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners assignment. I'm 59 years old so right off the bat you know that peppy, chirpy voices are going to annoy me. And I think formulaic, over simplified, gimmicky presentations are condescending. But then, I'm cranky by nature, so there you go.

Anyway, in the spirit of the Learning 2.0 thingie, I would have to say that the easiest habit for me is to set goals. Sometimes they seem vague (for example: be a better photographer) and sometimes they're very precise (for example: learn to make gluten-free bisquits). The difference between the two is that the vague ones are actually broad statements about a whole subset of goals (learn more about exposure, learn more about composition, and learn how to deal with tricky lighting). Life is a happy thing when there is a goal to attain.

The hardest thing for me is to treat problems as challenges. Eventually I always do just that, but not without a whole lot of whining, complaining and self-pity. But, you know, I've elevated those things to an art form, and when you're good at something, you should stick with it!

Okay, now back to the goofy Gracie photograph. I wish I'd backed off just a little, so the top of her head wasn't cut off. On the other hand, I like how the bokeh kind of frames her head, and I like the way the lighting and white balance lend a seriousness and depth to an image that could have been just another bright and snappy kid picture.

So take that, 7 1/2 Habits.