Questions are like an annoying tickle in your throat that just won’t go away. And the answers, like remedies, are hit or miss.
I’ve tried nose sprays to stop the post-nasal drip. Hot tea with lemon and honey (I tried it with whiskey once. Yuck!) Cough drops. Expectorants. Suppressants. Yet, the irritation of an unproductive cough still lingers.
And so it is with the questions that I have. They hang around long enough to be a nuisance.
None of them concern the past. The past is gone and I can’t do anything to change it. However, I do think about what the future holds.
Where is my career headed? Do I even have a career? What is my calling in life? What can I do to make a difference in this world? These are the type of questions that keep me awake at night.
I like science and I sometimes think about weird stuff. Does a duck’s feet get cold swimming in cold water? Why can’t humans keep their eyes open when they sneeze? Although I don’t know the answers, I don’t lose sleep over these sort of questions.
When we are educated or experienced in a specific subject, people may look to us for answers. I sometimes like it when people ask me questions. It allows me to be a teacher. However, I also like asking questions because I can then be a student.
We do ourselves a disservice if we are just one or the other. As students, we must learn to share our accumulated knowledge and experience. As teachers, we must be humble and always be willing to learn. All teachers were once students. I know, we are bordering on a chicken versus the egg argument here.
I have worked with people who have only asked questions. I gave them answers, but they never learned to think for themselves. They never experimented and they never tried anything by themselves. They had to be spoon-fed.
I’ve also met people who knew it all. They had all the answers. Somehow, they had acquired the knowledge that made them an expert. These people were close-minded, so unwilling to listen and learn.
Although maddening at times, I hope we never stop questioning and looking for answers.
I hope people will share their knowledge with others.
When we help others solve their problems, we may in fact, help solve our own issues.
Did I leave the Nyquil in the medicine cabinet, or is it on my nightstand?
Be Kind. Be Thankful. Be Significant.
