The Circle of Life is a Circle of Learning

We are all students and teachers

My Dad is holding the day’s catch. In the early years of their marriage, my folks had little money, lived at my grandmother’s cottage, and fished for the food they ate. Photo circa 1948.

HOW WONDERFUL IT IS THAT KNOWLEDGE and wisdom never go out of style? It’s something we continue to gather and a valuable gift we continue to share. No matter our age, attaining knowledge and experience continues to be an important and gratifying part of our lives.

The gratifying part is enhanced when we can share what we know with others to improve their lives. Often, that sharing happens without us even realizing it.

My Dad was a smart man. Not in the Ivy League sort of way, but in raw, rough-hewn intelligence. He never made it past the 10th grade, but he accomplished a lot in his short life.

We didn’t have a close relationship. I think World War II took its toll on him. He had a lifelong inferiority complex because of his small size, and his excessive use of alcohol clouded his judgment. And in hindsight, I don’t think he ever understood the demands inherent in being a parent. But despite all that, he managed to accomplish impressive things in his 64 years of living.

Learning with eyes and ears

My Dad was a self-taught person, an autodidact. He built and repaired things. Once out of the military, he became a tool designer, boat builder, and woodworker. He renovated an old…