You are never too old, or too young, to learn

Last week I read two articles that stood out to me, for their similarities and their differences.

The first was about the world’s oldest first-grader. Kimani Maruge started school for the first time at the age of 84 in 2004. Before that he’d been too poor to attend school in his native Kenya. He lived his life as a farmer and fought in the army for Kenyan independence, hoping then the government would stop charging fees to go to school. Even after independence though the government continued to charge fees till 2003. At the age of 84 school was finally opened to all, not just those who could afford it, so he went.

It’s never too late to learn. It’s never too late to chase your dreams. It’s never too late.

The second article was about learners on the other end of the spectrum – newborns, how their brains process new knowledge and the knowledge they already come with. I’m always fascinated by studies showing just how much newborns know and understand and the ways scientists are finding to measure their intelligence since they aren’t exactly adept at filling in bubble sheets. The first year is an intense period of growth physically and mentally for humans and it’s amazing all we’ve learned about that period, and all we still don’t know.

It’s never too early to start learning. We shouldn’t wait till the time seems right or the process seems easier because the process began before we even knew it.