When I was 17, I went to London for an English language course. Visiting the city for the first time, I also did the usual sightseeing. From the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral, you have a beautiful view over London. But my focus was more on a very sympathetic girl of my age on the platform. I was too shy to address her, but came near enough to read the address label attached to her bag, – a Paris address. I wrote a letter. Decades later, I am still grateful that Annie answered.
This developed into a five year long correspondence, which greatly improved my French. More important, it made me think more seriously about many issues. It was anything else than a casual chat. It became an open exchange on personal questions, society in France and Germany, politics, gender differences, philosophy.
What has this to do with lifelong learning? A lot. The exchange with somebody from another country and another sex brought different perspectives and stimulated curiosity. It was on issues of great personal interest. And to know that a sympathetic person would answer maintained the motivation.
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