Many years ago, I ice fished and skated – poorly. Ice fishing was a skill – and sport – taught by those who raised me up. On windy days, I let myself blow down the lake on skates, then struggled back. Relaxed, then active, yin and yang of life.
Young, I dreamed of playing hockey, but had no one to teach me. Learning and teaching are another yin and yang or balance. Sometimes we learn, others teach.
Unexpectedly, at college, I roomed with a hockey player. Every day, he practiced, so I watched. Being proud of friends is the flip side of friends being proud of you.
One day, he said, “Get your skates. Meet me at the rink half an hour early, we’ll go over basics.” For months, this is what we did daily. He taught me to play hockey.
He taught balance, forward thinking, how to make opportunities and use them. He taught wrist shots, slap shots, hip checks, how to ride an opponent off the play, skate backwards, and perfect body fakes. He taught puck control, use of the boards, foot drags to upset defensemen, and mostly how to work hard.
In time, he returned to his town, happy for ice time in college. Luck put me overseas studying economics, where I used skills he taught to play hockey overseas, against the Europeans.
Then I came home. Time passes fast. I taught my kids to skate – and ski – in Maine. He did his thing. One day, he called. Somehow, he was the Finance Minister for Prince Edward Island. “Got some economic policy questions…” We talked again. He had taught me well, so I worked to give something back.
More time passed. Friends set up hockey camps, focused on teaching. My old roommate, once in government, now teaches asset and risk management. Having myself taught decision making, I soon hope to repay those who raised me up.
Back when we were in college, the President of the United States was Ronald Reagan. He liked teaching too, especially teaching about freedom.
Inaugurated as California’s Governor, he said, “Freedom is a fragile thing, and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance. It must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.”
Later, he wrote: “Education is the mainspring of our democracy and freedom, a means of providing gifts of knowledge and opportunity to all citizens, no matter how humble their background, so they can climb higher…” Teaching matters.
Learning things is not hard, nor is teaching. You just have to remember to do it. They link generations – and peers. Teaching a friend to play hockey gave me something. Putting skates on recently, it reminded me we owe it all forward.
Reagan focused on teaching freedom, and maybe he was right. It could be the most important lesson for a republic. Today, his words resonate. Learning and teaching are how we preserve our own rights – and in turn preserve the Republic.
Many years ago, ice fishing and hockey were my focus. But learning taught me the importance of teaching. In the end, teaching is how freedom survives, and we each need to teach it. So, once Christmas dinner is over, join me. “Get your skates and meet me at the rink.” Let’s teach the next generation the values we were taught.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, Maine attorney, ten-year naval intelligence officer (USNR), and 25-year businessman. He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (North Country Press, 2018), and “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024). He is the National Spokesman for AMAC. Today, he is running to be Maine’s next Governor (please visit BobbyforMaine.com to learn more)!
