It has always seemed as though there was an answer waiting when I knew the right question to ask. I remember being in grade school and wondering about a certain topic, perhaps even the meaning of a word. I remember hearing the word ennui, which sounded French to me and therefore vaguely dirty. Weeks later, I’d marvel when Life supplies the needed answer, as if Life KNEW I was in need of that answer. By chance, a concept would be explained or a word would be defined or contextualized. As I grew older, I began to realize that answers tended to materialize best when the questions were simpler. The meaning of life? I still haven’t heard anything on that question yet.
I wonder if answers seemed to surface only because I had acknowledged that there was a question to be answered in the first place. In other words, I found my answer because I was attuned to the question. It was just on my radar. So when you’re paying attention, you learn things- kind of obvious, right? I find this is comforting and yet- not. What questions haven’t I been asking? Am I limiting myself by not asking more questions? Better questions? Different kinds of questions? I can’t always know what to ask. I don’t have enough exposure to certain subject areas to even fathom what to ask. Theoretical physics? No. Perhaps I know something about a subject but not enough to embark on deeper understanding. Taoism? I might be able to tell you facts (wow that Eastern religions class was a loooong time ago) but that’s a pretty shallow understanding of a complex religious belief. I need to start asking more questions.
A resolution: a new question, every day, about anything at all- bonus points if it’s a question about a topic that I either know nothing about or that I was previously completely uninterested in. Could be fun. I may even try to blog a few here because I really need to get back into the habit of writing regularly again- just maybe not EVERY day.
Playing in Puddles 