Knowledge is Not Lost

Have you ever been afraid of losing your knowledge? That somehow you might not be able to remember certain things? Have you ever thought that you could only learn so much? If so then I have news for you my friend. You don't have to lose what you've learned. You may think that your mind has forgotten, but the soul remembers and the spirit never forgets.

I've been blessed with the opportunity to revitalize my relationship with my father. My Dad and I recently got to spend a lot of time with each other. It was refreshing to be able to kickback and enjoy ourselves. Especially since it had been many years since we'd seen each other. I got to relive these memories of me as a teenager. Visiting my old hangout spots. It gave me much perspective on the years passing by and how people say they go by in a blink.

The Mark of a Professional

One thing that I learned while watching my Dad is: the soul always remembers, and the spirit never forgets. My father gave me the foundation to many things in life. Not only did he teach me life lessons through my experiences, but he also taught me practical things. Things like playing chess and wonderful hobbies like roller skating. He gave me the foundation for skills in which I was able to inspire many others. I've taught many people how to play chess and I've taught plenty more how to roller skate.

While visiting him, he proposed to me a challenge. "Hey, you want to play a game of chess?" "Sure!" I said. He must have let me win the first two games. Because after he caught on there was no competition. What that taught me was that, even though he hadn't played chess in years, he hadn't lost his edge. It was still sharp. Not only did he beat me, but he was able to adapt to my play style. Making it so that I could no longer adjust to what he was doing. It is the mark of a professional or one with just a little more experience. A few more tools on their tool belt.

On the Dance Floor

My Dad showed me the difference in rollerskating too. When we went out to the rink, I wanted to show him all these things that I had learned. I'd been skating almost on a weekly basis. Able to teach people and also learn from veterans. Eventually, I came up with my own style of rollerskating. Enjoying the thrill of being able to balance on one foot and do all kinds of variations.

But my dad was the one who taught me how to skate. Without him, I may never have started. That night, I was able to observe him amongst all these youngsters. Holding his own on the dance floor. There were a lot of teenagers out that night, a few grown folks, and a ton of kids. He was skating with the best of them. Even having surgery twice on his knee and not being in the best shape. The average person would not be able to tell. I watched in amazement as he glided. Still as vibrant as I knew him to be. People only see your glory, but they do not know your story.

Finding the Files

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Watching Dad skate let me know that you don't have to lose what you learn. Even if many decades have passed by. I once read a book by Ben Carson, the famous neurosurgeon. It told me that we greatly underestimate how much our mind can house. It is not in the storing of information that is the problem. It is the finding information in the cabinet of our mind that give us pause. Assimilating what we need from the rest of our archives for that specific moment. But once we have the information, it is always there.

We have the capacity to store in one human brain all the history of man and still have room left over. That's only one brain. But I want to let you know that you are more than that. You are more than just your mind. You do not have to lose what you learn because the soul always remembers and the spirit never forgets.

Knowledge is Kept

My Dad didn't have to be a grand master in chess to know how to beat me in my own game. He didn't have to be the best roller skater to be able to skate with the best of them. He only had to be himself. He only had to have wisdom in knowing that the things he had already learned were still there. The things that he had already absorbed were always with him.

In this life, as you touch and impact other people, you will learn more things. Know that the knowledge you acquire does not have to leave you. So it's okay to learn more. But it's also okay to believe and have faith that the things you have already learned are still with you today.