I believe “curiosity” is one of the most important traits to nurture in children. I must have been curious as a child but I have had it in spades as an adult and I attribute much of my quality of life to this trait. I think curiosity leads to knowledge and, as we all know, “knowledge is power!”
Let’s hope the answers to our questions during the formative years help us glean knowledge and skills leading to “successful adulting.” During our middle years, our questions are mostly oriented toward helping us “strive and thrive” but later in life it seems the questions change. My experience has been that the questions have become more basic and random probably because my life is simpler and I am more plugged into living in the present.
So here are some questions I have asked myself and Google over the last 12 hours:
-Why does my neighbor’s tree turn color in late July instead of September?
-Why do birds seem ravenous after rain storms?
-Why is the crab grass and weeds in my perennial beds so pervasive this year?
-Why is this year’s basil plant doing so much better than those in prior years?
-Why does my porch robin stop at two egg clutches a year instead of three?
-Why do fish jump out of the water?
-Why is one of my newly woven rugs buckling?
-Why does silence feed my soul in a way it never did when I was younger?
-Why does the sound of the duduk (ancient woodwind instrument) in my new sleep app put me right to sleep while so many other sounds are just irritating?
-Why do so many people out here at the lake sit around in lawn chairs and visit with each other when we don’t?
-Why do I like to read so much when so many other people don’t?
I know there are simple answers to most of these questions and knowing the answers is probably not important but that doesn’t mean “inquiring minds” don’t want to know them. Such questions probably also help inform us about our current interests and priorities; mine being nature and a meaningful inner life. So, what are the questions informing your life this week?