Learn something new

Loud whispers, quiet screams.

Where ever my mind takes me....

Learn something new
Aug 24, 2009 at 4:26 AM
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- katzmeow726
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        I remember those words so well, because every day as my dad dropped me off at school he would tell me "learn something knew." Sometimes I'd reply with a smile, or a quick "I will!" But he didn't stop there. As we made the normal drive to school he would always find something to teach me. Even on those days when we had argued and no one was in a good mood, he would still teach me something. Sometimes it was just a trivial fact, or some historical date. He would tell me something about that artist singing on the radio, or a news story that I found confusing. Or even the occasional life lesson. Even before I even entered the classroom, I had already learned something new.
       That wasn't all though. All through primary school, and even in to my high school years, dad was the go to guy for projects. His foam, play doh, and candy model of a cell got an A+, but I scored the good grade on the test later that week. And because his dear daughter could not draw a straight line with a ruler, he was wonderful to help me do the drawings required by my biology teacher. However I can say I did a wonderful job coloring them! Oh and his model of a colonial village was genius I tell you! He would sit with me for hours during the evenings as I struggled to grasp my math assignments. No matter how hard he tried, I just couldn't get that whole "mental math" thing. I remember him saying that I would be so embarassed in high school and college if I still had to count on my fingers. I remember even more clearly how I laughed when all my assignments from 6th grade on required a calculator! Go figure, now that I'm out of school, it finally clicked.
       There was one really rough night in third grade, when my teacher went nuts. The woman had a passion for busy work, but never to the extent she did this one time. She handed out homework that night that ended up taking me hours to complete. I started from the moment I got home, and took a break only to eat dinner. Despite all my hard work, I was not done by the time I needed to go to bed. I was barely able to keep my eyes open, so Dad promised to write me a note. However, this teacher was not one that would accept it. But the morning light brought me a beautiful surprise. Somehow my homework miraculously completed itself, in my hand writing! My dad had aparently spent the rest of the evening finishing out the homework for me.
     And now, here I sit, much older than the little girl who was told to learn something new. I turn 23 years old next month, and this August marks seventeen years since I started my first day of school. But I still take those words to heart, and he still finds a way to teach me something whenever he can. It doesn't matter that I am married and have two kids, I'm still his baby. And he still feels that it is important that I learn all I can. It doesn't revolve around facts or trivia as much, as it does advice for life. Advice on my relationship, and parenting or advice on money saving and healthy spending. Even though he no longer tells me to learn something new, I still do it. Just because I am taking a break from school doesn't mean I can stop learning.
      Now I have two children of my own. Two beautiful blessings that make my life mean something. Now I understand why my dad insisted that I learn. He wanted me to have every advantage, so that I could succeed in my life. It didn't matter what I had success in, just that I had success in what I chose to do in life. I'm a great mother and a wonderful wife, which is what I chose to be! I consider that success.
   And it won't be long before I can start passing on my knowledge to my kids. Little facts and tidbits here and there for them.   l can't wait, for it soon will be my turn to pass along those words that have helped me succeed in my life; " I love you, be sure to learn something new!"

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