I'm not from Missouri, the show-me state, but I am a visual person by nature, so, when I want to learn how to do just about anything, I prefer to be shown.

Fortunately, with very little time spent searching, it is possible to find useful demonstrations for nearly any skill on the Internet.

Education is not an inexpensive commodity in this country. We pay thousands for our children's dance and music lessons, and sometimes hundreds of thousands to send them to college.

If we want to learn how to sew, we enroll in a course at our local fabric store. If we want to learn to dance, we write a check to Arthur Murray.

But there is another way to explore the world that costs nothing. Dozens of Internet sites provide us with lessons in the important skills of life at absolutely no cost.

My favorite remains You Tube, but other sites such as 5minutes.com and ExpertVillage.com let me soak in knowledge to my heart's content.

My sister dances Argentine Tango. It is fascinating to watch, but I have neither the time, nor the degree of commitment necessary to enroll in a full-scale class. Not, at least, until I have dabbled. The answer, as always, is a click away on You Tube. You need only type in "Argentine Tango" to come up with a full menu of short how-to videos that will keep your ankles tangled with those of your partner for weeks while the two of you decide whether the foxtrot is more your style.

Who wouldn't like to play music like a rock star? Type in "how to play Stairway to Heaven" and get ready to follow a step-by-step tutorial on the opening riffs.

Ever thought about custom-made shoes? If you search for "how to make a shoe", you will soon see exactly how it is done.

I have drawers full of beautiful silk scarves that I have received as gifts over the years. When I travel, I am always impressed by the creative ways women in Europe use theirs to accent their outfits. "How to tie a scarf" puts me right on track to join them.

I have been studying French on my own for years. Not only can I find free lessons on You Tube, but I can also watch a three-minute demonstration limited to the subject of how to pronounce the tricky French "r". This, by the way, is the subject of a course offered by the Librarie Francaise in Boston for a hefty fee.

If I ever need to change jobs, I can get a quick lesson on how to drive an eighteen-wheeler or how to repair a rotary engine. While I may not stay employed for long, I will by dynamite in an interview.

On a far more practical level, internet tutorials can and do save me hundreds of dollars when I am in need of minor repairs to my home which no one ever taught me to make or when my daughter asks that I make her a dress that calls for invisible zippers or button holes.

The next time you're feeling curious about the world, check out the endless on-line opportunities to watch demonstrations by experts in every imaginable field of endeavor, and all for the best price in townabsolutely nothing!

Learn more about this author, Lois Lawrence.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

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