Mainline Knowledge: Use Friends As Teachers
BACK TO BASICS | by SHERRY STRIPLING
LATELY I’VE BEGUN TO IMAGINE MYSELF as that unfortunate character in a sci-fi TV episode with such an insatiable appetite for learning that his head expanded into its own alien being.
My topics aren’t as weighty as his. They tend toward guitar, mandolin, Photoshop, InDesign, home repair, pruning, storytelling, driving a horse trailer, technology, technology, technology, and compost.
But they are nonstop, or were until my charge card told me: Stop taking classes.
Luckily, I have a secret weapon: Friends. Instead of Friends with Benefits, I have Friends with Knowledge. Just like me, and probably just like you, these friends live in the new world largely as independent contractors. Not only are their work and hobby skills ever evolving, but they are their own technology, billing and advertising departments. They have to learn!
So we teach each other. We offer to exchange money but usually we share for free. I’m trading beginning guitar tips with one friend for Photoshop tricks. It’s all very informal, plus we throw in a walk.
Here are some benefits:
- You learn at your own speed and learn only those parts you want to improve.
- You see how you and your friend’s skills fit together, which can lead to work collaboration.
- You get to visit and be productive.
To do it graciously:
- Remember to pay close attention to sighs. That’s a sign you’ve come too often or, worse, you’re not listening.
- Be flexible about time if the “teacher” needs to cancel.
- Take something with you: coffee, food, movie passes, an offer to pet- or child-sit or run an errand.
It’s clear we’ll never know enough to keep up with the world. At least this way, we can all grow into alien beings together.













Wonderful images, wonderful relationships. Thanks, Val.