All About Learning How to Learn - First Steps of a Journey

Lately I've been thinking about a big problem I've had most of my adult life.

I have a great passion for reading and writing - so much so that I thought about the idea of doing this for a living.

Then I went through ten years of poverty trying to do that. It wasn't fun, or even romantic. The writer in the garret, scratching out something brilliant while starving, is a lie.

Not only that, but I started to see how the idea of the freelance lifestyle didn't really fit with my lifestyle or the person I wanted to become.

I started to get this crazy idea that I should learn more about math and science.

At first, I told myself it was because I could become a great science fiction writer like Isaac Asimov, who was, in fact, a real scientist. I love science fiction more than any other genre.

Then I thought to myself, how on earth did Isaac Asimov, prolific writer that he was, actually EARN a living?

As a teacher and a scientist. Specifically, a professor of biochemistry at Boston University.

What???

So finally, I thought to myself, what could I do for a living that would play into my current work (I clean up and maintain data on the computer), as well as make a great living, and maybe even allow me some time to work from home or write?

Did a lot of searching, for a long time. It's only when the seeker starts asking the right questions that the answer finally appears, and I think I might have found my answer:

Cybersecurity.

Now granted, I am currently 48 years old, embarking on the quest to become an ethical hacker and cyber warrior for a living, when I need my kids' help to work my own TV. A road which will not only require a lot of math and science, but a master's degree and certifications. I currently have an associates degree in liberal arts, and I got a hard-earned 'B' in one business math class in college, about 7 years ago now. This is a pretty big change.

I feel like Mr. Anchovy the chartered accountant:

I probably have no business even trying to do this. I may not even live to see the end of this road. But it's a pretty exciting-sounding road, and I'm gonna walk it.

Right now, this is a vision for myself. This is the mountain.

If I happen to write some science fiction thrillers along the way, awesome. But the creative spirit doesn't survive in Dust Bowl conditions...at least, not in my heart and mind. I've already taken that route, and I already know it sucks. Not going back there again.

I'm putting my life into the hands of the good people at Coursera, with their course on 'Learning How to Learn'. That's really my interest more than anything - learning. And I want to learn how to learn really well, even at my age. If I can learn math and science, I can learn anything. This blog is going to document my journey from here to cyber warrior.

So, here we go. First steps are a Microsoft Certification and picking up all the math classes at Khan Academy...