On Learning New Things

Isaac is learning and, in some ways, that makes me the teacher. I've already taught him when you should swing at a 3-0 count. When to throw the sinker. When to take a jumpshot falling away just inside the three-point line and when to dribble the clock out. I don't think he's grasped my lessons yet. But he is learning in other ways.

The Mrs. bought a fun toy for him last week. Now I'm of the opinion that we should just give our child a cardboard box and let him use his imagination. In fact, I'm excited about our new house because there are several places where a productive imagination could yield some interesting afternoons. But he's not quite there yet. And this toy is a pretty neat thing. Neat in the sense that I can already measure it's effectiveness. Basically, the toy let's him lay on his back with things to grab onto over his head. It's working. In the past week, he's gone from barely being able to focus on something in front of his face to being intrigued by his index finger and reaching for it with his other hand and grab and hold objects at will.

You don't think about teaching these things. You think about teaching right from wrong. Curveballs from sliders. Times tables. Words. Not grabbing things like a plastic ladybug or a rotating toy mirror. Not how to focus and reach for something. Or even putting things within their grasps.

But that's my role as a Dad. To teach him to reach for things over his head, or right in front of him. To teach him to focus, grab and hold on to whatever he can. He starts, I'm learning, with a toy that makes noise, it progresses, eventually, into dreams and goals. From tangible objects to intangible desires.

I guess this is as easy as it will get for me. Because, right now, I can hold the desired object for him to grab on to. I won't always be able to do that.

But when the time comes to teach him how to hit a fastball, rest assured, he's not going to be able to hit my fastball.