What I learned today....

James E Nuckols

June 10, 1924-June 9, 2014

As a little girl I remember Grandpa was always reading or tinkering on the computer.  He was always learning something, reading a technical magazine or sharing a bit of knowledge that he picked up.  He enjoyed the more technical side of life, many things I didn't understand.

It seemed our usual conversation each time we would visit.  Grandpa would ask, "What did you learn in school?"  Since I was in school I always had a legitimate answer.  Grandpa asked me this question regularly and all the way through my nearly 4 years at college.  I can distinctly remember the summer I graduated from UC---visiting Grandpa he asked me the usual question, "what did you learn in school?"  I've always remembered that moment---even where I was sitting in Grandma and Grandpas living room.  For a moment, I didn't know what to say and was a little hurt because I wondered how could he forget that I had graduated college?!?  I said, "Grandpa, I've already graduated college."  He looked at me with a sheepish smile, an ability that all the Nuckols men have, and said, "I know, but we are all students of life.”  He paused for a moment and then said “What did you learn in school today?"  I smiled back and thought of something that I had learned. 

Every visit after that I was prepared and thought about something neat I had learned and added to my bank of knowledge.  I started asking him the same question and he always had something to share.  Now I wish I could have remembered the tidbits we exchanged.

It wasn't until a couple years ago that I realized the life long impact these 2 minute conversations.  I was driving home from work and the question popped into my head, “What did I learn today?”  We've not been able to have those conversations for quite some time now, but rarely a day goes by now that I don't look back at the end of the day and think, "what did I learn today?"  Some days I'm quite happy with how the day went and what I learned.  I learned how to sew a curtain, I learned how to fix a strand of Christmas lights. I learned how to read the bedtime story just right.  I learned sometimes all people need is a smile.  Other days, I look back and think, "Jenna, did you not learn anything?"---and I'm disappointed by the day that got away, a day I merely passed through.  A day that I would have no answer for Grandpa…

Maybe Grandpa didn't intend to but he's taught me a lifelong lesson of learning everyday.  He didn't just teach me one great principle, one great lesson or one great theory....he taught me to keep on learning every single day.  We are never too old, too young, too busy, too tired, too wrapped up in our own world that we can't learn something new.  So I ask you the same question, "what have you learned today?"