Learnin'

My father, and to a lesser extent, my mother, instilled in me a love of learning. My father always lionized the educated far more than he did the rich -- though, as Tevye sang, he wouldn't have complained had he been a wealthy man.

Last Thursday Mike invited me to meet him and his fine son Chris in the Gables, for a renewal showing of "The Doors" at the Gables Art Cinema. Mike recalled seeing the movie when it came out in '91 -- before D2 and his two kids were born, and our group only had Monica who, to Mike, "always seemed about 15." I agreed to go, and earlier on searched for a book to give to Chris about the Doors, Danny Sugarman's "No One Here Gets Out Alive."

I looked through my several bookcases, and came up short. I must have given it away. But as I went through the more than thousand books, I realized I had read all of them, and it was no coincidence therefore that I AM pretty smart. The Ds and Wifey call me Encyclopedia Daddica, and I typically do better than all three Jeopardy contestants, so I guess there's some validity to that. But I'm surely no genius -- the kind who can do the Times crossword puzzle in minutes, or pass a Physics exam before the rest of his classmates.

Friday we attended the funeral of Dr. Bob, and afterwards the shiva at their house. I ALWAYS learned something from Bob and Judy, and as Wifey and I walked into their house for the first time in years, that thought came flooding back to me. Their entire house is bookcases -- and they've read them all.

The ceremony was moving -- Sarah gave me credit for sending to her the Robert Louis Stevenson poem so applicable to her father, and she and Judy spoke humorously and lovingly about Bob. A former student of his, now a Neurologist himself for decades, also spoke admiringly and lovingly.

As we sat in the living room at the shiva, Ari, Bob's son, spoke of having a bad nut allergy, but he was eating almonds. He explained that almonds were NOT nuts -- they were stones, and so no allergy for him. He also explained that amaretto, the liquor is made from fermented peaches, which are also stone fruits, and that it tastes like almonds. I'm sure D1 already knew this, but it was news to me.

And then Judy told a tale, of when Bob was in the hospital and told of the terminal nature of his illness. Bob was a proud Jew, and Zionist, but not a believer in the Big Man. He said his god was found in nature. Still, the Rabbi asked to say a prayer, and he agreed, and as it was being said, he began to cry, which shocked him.

He spoke of epigenetics, acquiring characteristics that can actually be passed down. I'd read a little about it -- studies showing that athletes who move to higher altitudes and get more red cells actually PASS that to their children. But now I need to read more -- once again, Judy and Bob's house was one of learning.

As people age, many seem to think they know it all. That's too bad -- my most admired older folks retain their intense curiosity. Norman's Dad Max is a perfect example -- he's turning 92 and loves to learn new things.

If I'm lucky enough to enjoy a long run on this mortal coil, I want to be in that number. We NEVER know it all...