Lindquist Flat Learning Curve

It’s my dad’s birthday today. He would have been 88. He died Jan 22, 2022, and I miss him every day, especially today.

My dad was smart, funny, interested in people (my high school friends still remember conversations with him fondly), and enjoyed life to its fullest.

Along the way, he taught me many things, sometimes directly and other times by example.

My dad would sometimes set his wallet on the roof of his car when opening the car door. Who knows why, but that was his habit.

More than once, he left the wallet there and drove off, not realizing until later when he went to pay for something. Highly inconvenient.

The second time he did it, he came up with the phrase “A fine example of the Lindquist flat learning curve!” We laughed with him, and it quickly became a family catchphrase.

When you made a mistake for the umpteenth time i.e. were being human, you’d proclaim “Yet another example of the Lindquist flat learning curve!” It included a small amount of self-deprecation - “I misplaced my keys again!?!?” - along with a big dose of laughter.

As a kid and a young adult, I was super hard on myself. It was only in hindsight that I realized the gift (one of many) my dad gave me: how to find compassion for my many imperfections, wrapped in a blanket of humor.

I still use the phrase, thanking and laughing with him when I do.

Compassion and grace for oneself - it is the journey of a lifetime.

Happy Birthday, Pops!
Kirstin Lindquist