Questions
Upon entering kindergarten, we’re taught that our education is ultimately, a long series of questions and answers. Each day you are confronted with the unknown or some problem in need of a resolution and it is your job to seek out the answers to these questions. Questions are good, we’re told. Never stop asking questions. No question is stupid. But are these age-old adages really true? Is it always beneficial ask perpetual questions or maybe, do we sometimes need to end the press conference and move on?
I realized that is impossible to escape the questions, no matter where you may find yourself. They follow a person everywhere and are the most ubiquitous facet of life, aside from cell phones and charity wrist bands. You get asked what you want for breakfast, what you’re doing today, what your future plans are, why, and so on and so on. It’s a never-ending stream of posited questions awaiting their corresponding answers and lately, I have found myself too exhausted to give the answers people want to hear.
There are the obvious questions we all face - Where are you going to college? What are you majoring in? What are you going to do with your major? What are your future plans? Every breathing adult in the universe seems to ask these questions at every opportunity - graduation, graduation parties, random shopping trips, etc. I feel like a robot every time I regurgitate, “I plan on attending Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania to study Government, Law, and Foreign Language. I want to go on to law school and eventually make my way into corporate and international law.” Booorrrring. Even I don’t give a damn by the time the conversation is over.
And then there are the more unique questions I find recurring in my life, or more correctly, the indirect demands for explanation for my life. “I don’t understand why you keep going back to Nick.” “Just move on, is it that hard?” “Your emotions are getting in the way, change something.” Not so much questions but still, statements in need of a reciprocal response with some sort of explanation to answer the perplexity or frustration with my own situation, and all stressing me out.
Answers are highly sought after because they provide comfort to people. Once people know the absolute truth on something, the know-all, end-all truth, they can accept it and deal with it from there. Ambiguity is dangerous to most everyone and frightens or at least discomforts them to a great extreme. We have to know everything because those who know more are better off, right?
However, I believe that maybe we should force ourselves to shelve those analytical, overly-critical eyes we are so used to viewing the world with, and just experience life. Answer the questions later, when everything is said and done. Do we really need someone to force us to piece together the puzzle? It’s about time we all just let the chips fall where they may and worry about the clean-up later.
I realized that is impossible to escape the questions, no matter where you may find yourself. They follow a person everywhere and are the most ubiquitous facet of life, aside from cell phones and charity wrist bands. You get asked what you want for breakfast, what you’re doing today, what your future plans are, why, and so on and so on. It’s a never-ending stream of posited questions awaiting their corresponding answers and lately, I have found myself too exhausted to give the answers people want to hear.
There are the obvious questions we all face - Where are you going to college? What are you majoring in? What are you going to do with your major? What are your future plans? Every breathing adult in the universe seems to ask these questions at every opportunity - graduation, graduation parties, random shopping trips, etc. I feel like a robot every time I regurgitate, “I plan on attending Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania to study Government, Law, and Foreign Language. I want to go on to law school and eventually make my way into corporate and international law.” Booorrrring. Even I don’t give a damn by the time the conversation is over.
And then there are the more unique questions I find recurring in my life, or more correctly, the indirect demands for explanation for my life. “I don’t understand why you keep going back to Nick.” “Just move on, is it that hard?” “Your emotions are getting in the way, change something.” Not so much questions but still, statements in need of a reciprocal response with some sort of explanation to answer the perplexity or frustration with my own situation, and all stressing me out.
Answers are highly sought after because they provide comfort to people. Once people know the absolute truth on something, the know-all, end-all truth, they can accept it and deal with it from there. Ambiguity is dangerous to most everyone and frightens or at least discomforts them to a great extreme. We have to know everything because those who know more are better off, right?
However, I believe that maybe we should force ourselves to shelve those analytical, overly-critical eyes we are so used to viewing the world with, and just experience life. Answer the questions later, when everything is said and done. Do we really need someone to force us to piece together the puzzle? It’s about time we all just let the chips fall where they may and worry about the clean-up later.