Everything I Ever Needed to Know

Several years ago, author Robert Fulghum wrote a sweet little book of essays called, “Everything I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”

The book is a collection of musings on the lessons taught children – play well with each other, share, be kind to each other – and how much better off we as adults would be if we adhered to those early lessons.

Tradition holds that parents are the primary teachers of the majority of life’s lessons, extending from those listed above to those as mundane – but essential – as a young man learning how to tie a tie.

But the times … well, they are a changin’.

YouTube, the online site that offers everything from videos of cats playing the piano to step-by-step instructions on how to assemble the perfect soufflé, is the premium go to source for information for the next generation.

Case in point.

My son had an important appointment that necessitated wearing a suit and tie. The challenge was he didn’t know how to tie a tie. I unfortunately was no help and Dad had already headed off to work.

Brother Matt came to the rescue. No problem – he just YouTubed “How to tie a tie.” Almost immediately a video popped up with a young man explaining, step-by-step, how to make the perfect necktie.

Apparently, “YouTubing” has entered the lexicon of the American language much the same way as “googling” – the term used to look something up online – has done. Whereas when a user googles something, an explanation or information may be offered, but when someone YouTubes something, they’ll actually get a video presentation in response to their question.

So much for the traditions passed from one generation to another, father to son, mother to daughter.

However, my son’s tie did look great.

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One thing that would be difficult to learn via YouTube (but anything is possible, I suppose) is how to play basketball. Fortunately son Danny doesn’t need instructions – and neither did his friends who headed to the Staples Center this past weekend for the Nike 3ON3 basketball tournament.

According to its website, Nike 3ON3 is home to every kind of “baller” there is: short, tall, college standout, recreational league champion, intramural player, gym rat, AAU or YMCA participant. And there were hundreds of teams with thousands of players on the temporary courts set up downtown this past weekend. This was the second year Danny and his guys took to the courts and though they didn’t advance too far, they did have a great time.

  robin goldsworthy