You're Never Too Old To Stop Learning

I usually go to LA on Thursday to see my mom, children and grandkids. This week I went on Wednesday, so I could join my mom's group, Gallery Hoppers, on a trip to Pepperdine to see an amazing exhibit of Roy Lichtenstein collages. Gallery Hoppers is a group of women from age 75-98. Most are ex-docents from the Hammer Museum at UCLA from many years ago, when my mom used to train docents and lead tours. Every month they plan a trip to an interesting exhibit. These women never want to stop learning.

The Frederick Weissman Foundation has an amazing number of Lichtensteins, as does the Lichtenstein Foundation. For this exhibit they gathered all collages, no oils or prints, from these two sources and from Eli Broad's personal collection. Our guide was the director of Pepperdine's museum, Michael Zakian, who should be a college professor. I learned more than you can imagine in his 50 minute tour. I learned about the process by which Lichtenstein got to collage, which was so fascinating. I found it interesting that the most intelligent questions came from the Gallery Hopper group. They are so bright, always learning, always reading and expanding their minds. On the way home we talked about the exhibit, but the women also talked about the play they were going to see over the weekend, a concert they had tickets to, or a book they were reading. One of the women did not stay for lunch. When I asked why, I was told she didn't like the lunches because she hated small talk. Was she talking about the same group? I was talking with one of the women as we walked to the car and she felt the key to staying young was getting out and doing something physical and mental everyday, even if it is sometimes an effort. I think that's very good advice.

If this interests you and you go to Malibu or LA, it will be open until April4. Lunch afterwards was at an excellent Greek restaurant called Taverna Tony. It's in the Crosscreek shopping center, about three minutes from Pepperdine. You just knew that food would somehow be involved, didn't you?