What we are Taught

           We never stop learning; every day we learn, taking in new knowledge, and new experiences. It is part of human nature to be intrigued - even obliged- to find the truth in everything that surrounds us. As infants we begin to learn on our own; parents are lucky to witness the first time we speak or walk; are they even sure that it is our first time doing these things? Can they be there for everything important we do in our lives? I am skeptical of others reactions to growing older, if they keep learning? But Even though I am not in the prime of my life, or close to my end, I am sure I will always learn something new for one reason: the world is always changing.

            Walking outside, you see differences in the weather, the lawn; maybe the street has a new layer of asphalt. These little things that surround you, you see, but others may not. They don’t have to be big or small, but they still impact you in a way that keeps you tuned into your environment. Store them away in your mind and take mental notes when you come into contact with these things later on.

            Being taught by your heart is not easy, the first and last to teach us is ourselves. We know these things best of all because we believe in them completely. We learn best when we experience them for ourselves, not by hearing about them. But to go out and search for what we are passionate about. They turn into guidelines for us to follow in our life and keep us on the straight and narrow, using these things not only for ourselves, but a code for friends or loved ones. To tell someone you know it by heart means you believe it to its fullest, this is one way we all learn.

            Growing up, I didn’t really know empathy, sympathy, or compassion for that matter. I was a bit of a terror, running around my neighborhood covered in mud from head to toe. My brothers would be far ahead of me as I would scoop handfuls of mud off me to throw at them. At the end of the battle there would be lots of yelling from our mother as she sprayed the mud off, but after a few times of this we would start to leave the conversation with a few jokes and laughter; not to end the battle or repress the memory, but to learn from it. That is one way I learned what is right and wrong, how to feel compassion, sympathy, and empathy for that other person.

            As we approach death I can’t say if we learn from past events or what we need to know before we go. Which makes me wonder about ghosts: If they don’t pass on, is it because they didn’t learn from the past? How would we learn something at the end of our lives when we think we know everything there is? Certainly not everything in the world, but all the wisdom we need, or think we need. I can’t tell you from experience if it is true that we learn in the midst of death, but in stories we do.

Jack Nicholson said it best in a movie called, “Bucket List.” “The minute that you're not learning I believe you're dead.” Throughout the movie, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson both learn from the things they’re most scared of; death. But Jack’s huge wealth shows Morgan that money wasn’t what he always wanted or needed, and Jack learns that running from your family and past doesn’t solve anything. The movie shows that, at the end of our lives, when the curtains are about to close and things seem darker than ever, we can still learn what we need to know.