Life's Learning Curve

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Paul retells about a time a whipped cream bomb exploded in a nearby park, but the concussion was nothing next to Captain Video, a bright, yet self-centered man still wrestling with a basic childhood trait… Sharing.  This Life’s Learning Curve episode spans almost 26 years to explain two sides of the coin. Rules, duty and respect meet a self-centered arrogant man called Captain Video. 

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If you go where you’ve never been, you MAY just find yourself. The desert can be blazing hot, the desert can be freezing cold -A challenge to the human spirit. The human spirit needs to be challenged and to recreate. On this remote episode, Paul talks with a couple of brothers in the Mesilla Valley area of New Mexico. It’s good for our souls to work with our hands. Their innovative talent for maintaining and modifying minibikes takes the brothers on an adventure in the deserts of the southwest. Bring your helmet, googles and your sense of adventure. Say hello to Drake and Tristen.

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This episode presents Paul’s life adventures peddling a two-wheeler.  -Just recently, riding his bike put Paul in a satisfied state of mind. Mentally Paul felt 18 years old again.  Soon Paul began to assume he looked that way as well. Feeling healthy and upbeat, Paul I stopped to let traffic pass. As he did, he glanced up and saw himself in the reflection of a local bakery. “Who is That???!?!?!? Oh, no! That’s an old guy. That’s …ME.  What happened?”      Time happened.   “I thought growing older would take longer?!?”          Therefore Paul can say this: Life is just like riding a bike, you never forget how to do it, but just don’t expect yr mental image to match your true to life physical image!  -Paul reveals his life’s adventures some great people and unforgettable journeys from the seat of his bicycle. Do not regret growing older. It’s a privilege denied to many.    -Just like riding a bike eh?

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We are so busy being busy that along the way we sometimes might loose ourselves in the process. What do a lineman, a weather event, and a power outage have in common? Episode 51 finds Paul deeply imbedded in a learning curve involving a weather event, a lineman, and finally connecting with neighbors all because of an unexpected microburst over his small mid-midwestern town. This episode centers around the storm and the damage, but look deeper and it’s easy to discover an episode of genuine intent. This is all about people, a community and finding ourselves reconnecting as humans to one another. 

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Celebrating episode number 50, Paul reminisces about times he was overcome with devastating creative / writer’s block. This allows Paul to look back on some favorite clips from the past three seasons. He tells of the shows process of inception for each episode and shares what works for him.   -The quote, ”You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” AND Terry Pratchett’s quote: “There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write.”  Let’s love life again as we take a look at where Life’s Learning Curve all started. 

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It was all of ninety-five years ago, when the world was the street where Gramma Ruth lived, and a young man named Harold sailed on a ship at sea carrying a picture of my Gramma Ruth. Ruth had that carefree mind of her own, and a very particular delicate look in her eye, which made one misunderstood blink, look like a wink, and with that another generation of Wilkinsons came to be. Throughout two world wars, three children, six grandchildren Gramma Ruth was the foundation. She was thoughtful, conversational, full of stories, love and guidance for multiple generations. Life’s Learning Curve is proud to share just what was learned through example from Gramma Ruth. This episode realizes that grandparents do not begin their lives when their grandchildren are born, they just enter a new era of happiness and find more of life’s joys. (thx to Elvis Costello for the inspiration)

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“Change is never easy for me. You fight to hold on. And you fight to let go.”  This episode is Paul’s very recent self-indulgent take on a wedding that came off with love, happiness & fun. Paul marries off his first child Heidi and faces all the joy and emotion of the day. During the wedding Paul’s subconscious kept reminding him, Change is okay. Life can be lucky AND often we get good things in return, such as this wedding, equipped with a post dinner rainbow. Here is a time Paul gets back what he had given. If you have ever had a child get married you can relate. 

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After this encounter, Paul never skied again. There was a time when at the age of 19, Paul and his ski buddies rode a bus and headed out to Montana to Big Sky country. Their purpose: Skiing the fresh white powder, or COLD SMOKE packed ski trails. This episode finally reveals the embarrassing way Paul finally learned coordinate himself to ski. Bar talent competitions, great friends and even a worthless gang of ski bullies combine to make this episode 'in your face' real.  Find out just why Paul’s downhill skiing ended so abruptly. This is episode 47 in season 3.

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This episode unfolds like a classic Bogart cinematic movie. Have you ever been with someone so inspiring that their enthusiasm rubbed off on you? In today’s episode this happens to Paul during a very delicate part of his life. Escaping a failing documentary and personal threats left Paul in shreds. He needs an escape. It was the summer of 2013 and Paul attends a film festival in the Florida Keys: The Humphrey Bogart Film Festival. Desperate for a Bogart style adventure, Paul cynically squinted his eyes and set his sights on Key Largo and an event that renewed his state of mind for years & years to come.   • Being inspired by others who care. 

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What took place on Waterman Road made Paul's life change. “Horses WILL step on your feet. You will work harder than you’ve ever worked before. You will rise at 4AM. You will be given real responsibilities that effect this business.” At age 10, Paul is relocated to a farm for a week. Even with all the rules and regs, he embraces the farm run by his Uncle Art, Aunt Virginia and his cousin Tommy. Paul embraces this new and diverse environment, until the horse show…Oh… The dreaded horse show. Stay tuned…

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