Incompetence, plus one sentence, plus effort equals wisdom. (Week 280)
Being an expert is like climbing a mountain to reach a castle and conquer it. Sometimes a single sentence can make a difference in life, one that has an impact, and from there, hard work and perseverance can enable us to master a skill or knowledge.
I believe that there are always those who know more and those who know less than you in any discipline, so you may not be an expert, a so-called expert, the best of all, but you can improve at whatever you are working on.
I was not born in the age of technology. In fact, the first computer I ever had was in 2005, and I had no idea how to use it; I knew nothing at all. But my brother, five years younger than me, did know. He had taken computer science at school and taught me a few things. I had barely had any exposure to these machines at school, practically nothing. My brother had much more experience.
At that time, I was studying at university, resuming my studies after the death of my grandmother, for whom I had stopped studying to take care of her. In one class, one of the teachers said this sentence: Anyone who does not know computer science is illiterate. That had a big impact on me, because I asked for help with anything related to the subject.
Shortly afterwards, a neighbour came to my house to tell me about vocational training courses in computing. I couldn't get that professor's statement out of my head. It was a statement that changed my life. I had always admired the work of designers, printers and that whole world, and knowing how to draw and paint and having so much imagination, I always thought it would be easy for me, but I couldn't afford that degree.
The vocational training courses were almost free for people who couldn't afford to pay, and they gave you a certificate. From then on, I began my journey of effort and hard work, as I ended up taking several courses at the same time, where they gave us work to do at home. I trained in the basics of computing, such as PC operation, Word, Excel, and everything related to it, and I took beginner and advanced courses.
The teacher saw my talent and told me he wanted to see me in graphic design, which I loved more and more every day. In total, I took 11 training courses, including one endorsed by a university: graphic and vector design, 2D AutoCAD design, web design, video editing, 3D design and animation, computer network administration, PHP language (which was the most difficult for me), and more.
Those were years of hard work and a lot of studying. At that time, design was done with programmes and everything was manual. There was no AI; everything was done with the mouse, and I still do it that way. I want to do every job myself, even if it seems old-fashioned. My study and effort are worth it.
That opened the doors to another world for me, the world of education, and I began to teach everything I had learned. Computers were something I was completely incompetent at and refused to learn, but when I started the courses, I began to love that world.
In fact, there was one thing I hated, and that was Excel, because I never got along with numbers, even though my maths grades at school were always 10. With effort and dedication, I mastered Excel, taught it to people to help them get jobs or improve in their current ones, and today I manage all my household accounts that way.
I create spreadsheets with formulas so that when I enter data, I get instant results. I trained myself in this both in courses and later on my own. It was like that with this programme and all the others. In fact, I learned many other programmes on my own, through the internet. I had to keep improving and offer my students many alternatives.
Not only that, but my brother is a computer and mobile phone technician, and I have often helped him with his work, which I loved.
Just because you don't know something about a subject doesn't mean you can't learn it, although it often takes time and dedication. I was able to do it.
When I read the weekend topics suggested by 
Thank you all for joining me today. I wish you a very good weekend. See you soon.
Amonet.
All the photographs are mine, taken by my friend.
Used translator Deepl.com free version.