I am grateful that at any given moment I am surrounded by teachers. They are literally everywhere, and can be just about anybody or anything; if I am paying attention I am constantly learning from someone. I read a piece that my daughter wrote yesterday that gave me a great deal to think about. I was impressed by their insight and self awareness reflected in the piece and it sparked my thinking about a number of things. I am so glad to be in a place where I am learning from both of my kids–they are not children any more, but young adults with ideas and insights and knowledge that I learn from on a regular basis. It’s nice not to have to know everything anymore, though my son, whom at one point I had dubbed “the knower of all things,” would be quick to tell you I didn’t know everything, in fact, he did and probably still does.
When I think about all the time I spent in school–20-plus years of formal education is a really long time–I think what I learned more than anything was not subject matter and content, though there was plenty of that. Mostly what I learned that still serves me well is how to learn, think, ask questions, explore, examine. The content of what we learn in school is constantly changing: advances in science, technology, all kinds of theories and knowledge bases expand. What was cutting age ten years ago is virtually obsolete now. So it’s less about knowing facts and “stuff” and more about training the mind to be in a constant state of learning, absorbing and pondering new ideas and concepts.
I always loved reading and studying and thinking about new ideas, novel approaches to various issues, and ways to convey those ideas to others. There is an African proverb that says, “He who learns, teaches.” This too makes sense to me and is why I have often found myself in situations where I am teaching or sharing ideas with the people around me. It is how I ended up working in higher education all these years. Love of knowledge and love of sharing knowledge and wisdom with others.
I am fortunate to have many teachers around me: wise elders, spiritual teachers, mentors, and role models. There are lessons to be learned from just about everybody and everything, if I pay attention to the world around me and open myself up to it. As a child I learned a lot from sitting around listening to the adults rather than spending time in more frivolous (though age appropriate) pursuits like playing. If there’s one thing I still need to learn much more about it’s play…
I’ve also learned a great deal in the school of hard knocks. Certain life experiences have taught me valuable if difficult lessons, and while I wouldn’t necessarily wish them on anyone else, they were important to my growth as a compassionate human being. Like most people I still have my moments when I’m ready to graduate from the school of hard knocks and learn some lessons the easy way. But as the old folks say, “I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey,” because it is in large part what has made me who I am in all my beautiful imperfection.
These days I find myself wanting a teacher. I miss my spiritual teachers from back in California, and need to place myself in situations where I can be a learner and a follower rather than a leader and teacher. There have been times when I have sought a teacher only to realize that within myself I held all the wisdom I needed in a particular moment. I will have to quiet myself and see from whence my next teacher will come. May they come soon. In the meantime, I will continue with my gratitude practice, offering and sharing here each day, and continue to learn from everything and everyone around me as best I can.
