The Heart of Being Smart
Photo by The HK Photo Company on Unsplash
Featured in the Dayton Daily News
Following a particularly active day with my grandson, I poured myself a glass of wine and turned on the tv. I was in search of the latest documentary on something that would expand my mind, but instead landed in the middle of an episode of the game show Jeopardy. I was curious to see if I knew any answer I could phrase in the form of a question. I listened as host Alex Trebek fired off clues on subjects ranging from owl species to Greco-Roman art. I couldn’t believe as the contestants offered answers….in a nanosecond. Like, who knows these things? Measuring intellectual capabilities to Jeopardy contestants is a tough comparison. At least for me, it’s a loss every time. So that lead me to think about what it means to be smart. Intellectual capabilities aside, smartness comes in many varieties. Some people are street smart. I know a few of those who can navigate life with practical skills; everything from talking themselves out of speeding tickets to traversing across Europe with a map and a toothbrush. These people own a bit more confidence and intuitive ability to avoid common roadblocks. Needless to say, my track record of defending a speeding ticket is nonexistent. Some people are book smart. Those that write college essays based on classic literature, or read the New York Times book review with a highlighter have my admiration. I love these people because their minds remain in a constant state of aliveness, rich with the presence of characters and stories found in paperbacks and shared book club discussions. Cherished books remain in the spaces of a mind like a welcome companion. Friendship with favorite characters can be a relationship that gives far beyond the turn of the last page. I always wanted to be Louisa May Alcott’s fifth sister in Little Women. Of course, there’s art smart; where sculptors, print makers, painters and photographers enliven the world with their demonstrations of creativity. How someone can transform a blank canvas into a playful beach scene, or see through a lens the treasures of nature otherwise overlooked make us all pause. Their expressions bring color, imagination and delight to the bland palate, restoring splendor and magnificence over and over.
What is often overlooked is the ability to be heart smart. If you live long enough, unexpected trials invade our ordinary existence. Many of us feel, at times, like we own the patent on pain. Offering an empathetic touch is transforming. The ability to look someone in the eye when despair cloaks their vision can offer a shift towards light. Positioning yourself at the kitchen table of a friend in need tells them they are not as isolated as they might think. The hug, the pasta casserole, the offer to cut your grass, or a simple note of support create the tutorial of heart instruction. It takes just one episode of receiving that can exponentially transform the act of giving. Likewise, the ability to share in another’s unfiltered joy only makes the nectar of celebration that much sweeter. The best part about being heart smart is that such education is not learned in isolation. Compassion teaches the heart to expand with knowledge of how to offer gentility and kindness to others.
Being smart in something is a good thing. I can’t wait to share with my grandchildren my new knowledge of the spotted owl learned from my visit to the world of Jeopardy. I’ll just make sure I add a bit of heart smarts as my arms encircle them with love.