Things I Learned from My Father

My father spent the majority of his adult life teaching.  Whether he was teaching children at school or parishioners at church, he was always teaching.  It has been touching, even overwhelming, to hear so many people express how his teaching left an indelible mark on their lives, whether academically or spiritually, or both.  

He was no different at home.  No matter what we were doing, he was always teaching us.  He viewed his children as his primary pupils, and he taught us everything he knew how to teach.  I'm sure we didn't always appreciate his intentions, but, as I reflect on my childhood and as I interact with my children, I can now appreciate his desire to impart knowledge constantly.  

Here, in no particular order, are some things I learned from my father.

Way more Beatles' trivia (including conspiracy theories) than any human being really needs to know.

To be epistemologically self-conscious. 

To hate losing, no matter what the contest. 

That imperatives flow from indicatives.

The relative unimportance of money.

The difference between the Ontological Trinity and the Economic Trinity.

How to throw a Wiffle ball.

To love the Psalms.

That America's fiat currency is bound to be inflated to the point of worthlessness.

The right way to play Euchre.

To love words.

To appreciate the beauty of music, even if the lyrics are in Italian.

The pleasure of a good book and a cup of tea.

To be kind to animals.

The value of Leslie Nielsen's humor. 

The responsibilities of fatherhood.

Which Star Trek movies were any good (it's the even numbered ones).

The historical importance of the Diet of Worms.

To be a lifelong learner.

That "Don't drink, don't chew, don't run with girls that do" is a shallow ethic.

That calling comes first.

That Christian education is vital to the restoration of the Church and this nation.

To do absolutely everything to the best of my ability.

To take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ.

To use a ruler/straightedge when underlining in books.

About a dozen things that, if done while playing cards, will get you shot in a bar (I'm pretty sure he never once played cards in a bar).

To be as hospitable as God enables you to be.

That large foreheads are a sign of intelligence.

That academic degrees are often worth less than the paper on which they are printed.

Never to split an infinitive or end a sentence with a preposition.

That never is never a verb.

That bacon, popcorn, and licorice are essential food groups.

The meaning of the Hebrew word shamar.

How to sweep, mop, and wax a floor.

The importance of properly grieving the loss of a loved one, especially a parent.

The list could go on ad infinitum.  Those of you who knew him could add to this list, I'm sure.  As the weeks go on, I'll probably add more as they come to my mind.

There were other things he tried to teach me, like Geometry, that just didn't stick.  There were many things that he didn't know how to teach, but what he did know, he conveyed to as many people as possible.  I hope the same can be said of me when I pass. 

Some more that came to mind:

The importance of objective truth.

To pay attention to the details.

That every man is, and must be, a theologian.

How to shoot a hook shot.

That if you live by the pass, you die by the pass.

To love the beauty of the King James Version, even though King James was a terrible person.

That curiosity is a sign of intelligence.

That you should always eat your dessert first because, if the roof suddenly caved in, it would be terrible to have eaten your vegetables and not your dessert.

That a life lived for entertainment is a life wasted.

To be careful when you see a woman with her arms crossed.