The How and Why of It All
A glorious mud puddle can raise all sorts of questions.
We get smart too soon.
There is an old saying that goes to the effect of: "We get too soon old and too late smart". And there is much to be said about that in the area of judgment and discernment. But just possibly the opposite is true. A youngster is constantly asking how and why. Why do we stop doing that as we get older? Just assume there is a middle aged man who has a 4 year old son. We use a middle aged man as the father rather than a younger man more typically associated with a 4 year old son. We do that because a middle aged man is supposed to be a little wiser than a younger man. At least let us hope so. Good judgment is the result of experience, the problem is that experience often comes from the exercise of bad judgment. And too often those mistakes are within the realm of raising a child. But perhaps that is how it should be.
Back to the 4 year old. A common saying that tries to be a fact by repetition is that a 4 year old asks 437 questions a day. (just call that a myth) But the number is probably more than half that at least. Calculating it out it comes to too many questions a minute to be believable. Until that is that you hear a child ask "why" ten times in one minute. Seriously I have sat at the computer showing pictures of snakes and so was able to time it and with a pointing finger at pictures it can be done. You must understand that it is asked without really wanting a full answer.
What does that have to do with this hub? Read on.
This is my favorite "why" song. It just sums up why for me.
How about you?
Do you ask how and why enough?
And of course my favorite "how" song. And how does she sing so beautifully?
When was the last time you really pondered...?
How does that light switch work?
Why does my tap water stink?
How does your body make a fart?
Why can or can't I remember dreams?
How come some planets look just like stars?
Why is there hail?
How are blimps held up in the sky?
Why do cars get louder when they accelerate?
How do worms see?
Why do birds flock together?
How do homeless people shower?
Why do some folks lie?
How do you learn to hate?
Why are there religions?
How does a stove really work?
Why are clouds white instead of blue?
Some are deep questions and some are quite simple but I would bet a dollar on your dime you do not know the answer to all of the above. And yet somehow and someway we stop asking the questions. We just know that if we pay the electric bill the light will come on when we flip the switch and that the stove will cook our food if we turn it on. We know that blimps have some sort of gas in them and that clouds are vaporous and water is wet. But shouldn't we either know more or at least ask.
And what of the deep questions, do we still seek answers or are we too busy with the day to day rigors of life like "what does my boss think of me". (although that may be deep indeed;-)
So we come to ask to great questions "why did I stop asking questions?" and "How do I begin again?" Or perhaps you are like many a reader and writer and you do ask the questions. Or maybe you just do not care. At least we can ask "why have so many people stopped asking questions?"
Why can't I spray the water in the house?
Why did and do we treat the Native Americans so shabbily?
Now back to the boy and the man.
The boy asks questions and the man is raising the boy. The boy asks "why the stone falls to the dirt?" The man answers of course - gravity. The boy asks "what is gravity?" The man the man responds that it is what makes the stone fall to the earth. Of course this is not good enough. So the boy asks "why does gravity make the stone fall to the dirt?" And so a lengthy explanation ensues. The boy being 4 seems mildly interesting. It seems to have gone over the boys head. Then over the course of the day, the boy runs to the father with a feather. And of course asks "why does the feather not fall like the stone?" Later the boy asks about "how come that airplane does not fall to the dirt" and then "How do birds fly?"
The man is raising the child. And so each question deserves a real answer. It is brutally times taking. And it drives the man crazy at times, but he patiently answers and researches to get more complete answers and he reads them to the boy. And now here is the middle aged man asking himself a serious question "when did I stop asking questions?" When did the cares of the world create in him an age where enlightenment stopped being a priority?
This article is written in a space designed for writers. And it would appear that writers of all people do not simply stop asking the questions. There is in them a quest for answers to questions from how to bake to why is there religion. And it is with great pleasure that we strive to find the answers. But we cannot find ourselves in the same niche that we may find is best for our writing. We must never "niche" ourselves into one area in which question. To be whole people we must diversify our thirst for understanding. And we must stay fresh in the questions of "how" and "why".
Let us end with and answer to a question that is outside the normalcy of answers. Why does the rain fall to earth? The easy answer is gravity. The real answer is: To nourish the earth and make things grow so that we may enjoy the earths bounty and live well.
Why do you care?
This article was written by Eric Dierker. I reserve all rights to this article and desire no duplication without attribution. On the other hand feel free to share the content just let folks know where it came from. Copying it and claiming it as your own would be stupid and subject you to my legal harassment of you. Besides if someone asked you what it meant you would not know so yes it is copyright protected as original work by me. Just leave a comment to ask to use it elsewhere and please share it.
To read more by this fascinating author visit www.thedierkerblog.com, Eric Dierker on Facebook and Pinterest and my sweet blog resipsaloquitor on google blogs.
OK I admit it, I need more publicity. If you steal this content please let me know so I can make a big deal out of it and get some press time.
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Comments
Yes, this author is awesome! You find such interesting subjects in such mundane actions. We know kids ask a million questions but did we ever stop to think of why?
Your choice of vidoes was excellent so I can't ask why you chose them....great hub Eric and great little boy.
Voted up, useful, awesome, and interesting.
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Good morning to you, Mary. May your day be filled with answers. Thank you for such high praise, you humble me. And yes you caught me, I just love the mundane.
I've learned not to read your hubs until I'm wide awake. I need to be fully invested in the topic or you'll lose me. That's a compliment, by the way. :)
Eric I always enjoy reading your hubs. Yes children ask too many questions and I have encountered that when my three niece and nephews were here.
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Thank you Bill, your problem is well founded, it probably comes from me publishing while I am asleep ;-)
Eric, a good cathartic hub, made to help us return to our youthful love of questions and answers. I think you are right that those who write often retain the ability and desire to question...and to some extent, I think teaching has helped me remember how to always question. I am much encouraged. Blessings.
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Hi Theresa, thank you for coming by. It is always good to hear from you. I have days filled with questions and have learned more in the last year than I care to admit.
Dear Eric, here you are once again, writing so beautifully on the wonderful topic of a child's wonder and why have we lost such wonder ...
You have made your point very clear here in this wonderful write! Yes, let us all seek to once again have that childlike wonder. For me, just looking at a single beautiful flower, brings to my mind several questions and I am in awe of its beauty.
I remember well those days of the million questions of my children, and now I enjoy the same through my three grandchildren's questions and I am blessed to see the world through their eyes as they see it and wonder.
Up ++++ tweeting, pinning, G+ and sharing
I wonder what or who is your inspiration in this life for your writings... oh, never mind, the answer is obvious here.
I truly love that photo playing in the water and the questions that were posed by your precious little one.
God bless you and yours, and let's keep the wonder alive in our hearts.
Your music choices are the best ever too.
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Hi Faith. Thank you for your great comments and sharing support. Today we needed sinus x-rays of the little guy. No big deal and all is well, but the questions and answers took us another 45 minutes just to get out of there. The staff just loved answering them and had all the right answers --- Life is good when we are interested. I sure learned a whole lot!
This is such a brilliant hub and makes me think!
You are right that as we age we stop asking questions like innocent children.
If I can answer simply, it would be because we are no longer innocent.
Some amount of arrogance I suppose! We start behaving like, 'I, Me and Myself'.
Quite opposite to a child's nature.
You have a unique style of writing and I admire that.
Thanks for sharing this engaging hub!
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Thank you much Chitrangada I know that my writing is a bit eclectic to say the least and so I really appreciate your encouragement and support. I think you are right on the arrogance concept, at least for me.
Always ask questions even if you do not get an answer. That is what makes this world do greater things than what Jesus did in his day and he did in fact tells us that we would do greater things than he. Thanks for the article and I hope many read it and get to ponder on things of an everyday occurances.
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Hi Debra, I hope you and yours are having a wonderful season. Thank you for adding your insight into this subject. I will keep asking, especially when I think I know the answer.
little kids are very cute, a lot of why and how that we can't answer at all, I had this experience too
Things change all the time and information too. They just found the Gospel of Mary and it is real and it is revealing as well. All the tech stuff seems to go so fast, I cannot imagine what it will be like for my grandchildren let alone 10 years from now. There is so much information that we lay people have no idea what is really out there or even what questions to even ask.
I do hope that you are enjoying the holiday season as well.
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peachpurple thank you much for the read and nice comment.
I can tell you really enjoy being a parent. Your little boy must bring a lot of enjoyment into your life.
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Hi friend, I really do enjoy my little buddy, thank you for dropping in and leaving a nice note.
Great questions but I seldom ask how and why. I really enjoyed your approach to this interesting hub.
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Hi, Devika it seems most folks don't ask too many questions.
Eric, I think we stop asking questions because the older we get, the more of a nuisance other people consider us and our questions to be. Thanks for informing us of our prerogative to keep asking how and why.
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Dora you have a great point that I readily admit I had not considered. Thank you. I will have to think on that one.
I can tell this kid is going to be a theoretical physicist. He asks some great questions and is lucky he has you to answer. Great hub!
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I did not realize it until I was writing this that the questions we ask show more of our intelligence than the answers we give. Thank you for coming by and leaving a note friend. Thinking of you in all this rain.
Thinking about this, it occurs to me that maybe one reason we stop asking questions is that we think we know the answers, whether we do or not. I could come up with answer to all the example questions you pose. How do worms see? Well, I might reply, they don't really see (earthworms, I mean); since they live mostly in a lightless environment, they don't need to. Now, is that the right answer? I don't know. But thinking I have it figured out pretty much blocks my questions about it from the start.
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Ron I think you hit at the very core of it. My reintroduction to asking questions came when all of the sudden my answers had to be right. The first thing I questioned was myself. And then I realized that I really did not have all the answers. And away I went looking for them.
Worms have receptors that allow them to sense light intensity but have no eyes with which to see, because of what you wrote. So you are right in a sense. Double meaning intended.
I miss all those innocent questions of wonder and you brought back those memories. How about some winter or Christmas memories; you wanna write some of those? Bet it would be fun!
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Jackie I have it in my to do list to give your http://jackielynnley.hubpages.com/hub/Jackie-Lynnl...
a try. I have some favorites when there was seven feet of snow on the ground.
As you say, as writers we cannot stop asking questions! I thought your statement "experience often comes from the exercise of bad judgment" is so true, unfortunately. We have to keep asking questions and finding the answers so we don´t fall into that category.
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Hi Vespa, I am afraid that I do fit into that category. The good news is that I have done it so often that I am at least getting better. I like both answers and questions as I believe they both teach.
This is an exceptionally good hub but you probably know that! It is true, it is wise and it contains a wonderful message.
Since having grandchildren I have learnt to start asking questions again because they ask me so many and I need the answers. I did this a little with my children but was too busy doing other things - how sad. Now I devote more time to them too.
I've seen your name in the comments of many hubs and for some reason I'm not following you (at least, I don't think so) so I'm off to remedy that right now.
Thanks for making us think more as writers and for encouraging us to raise the standard (in more ways than one!). Up ++ and shared.
Ann
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Hello Ann, it is a pleasure meeting you. I just went over and read your "interview", you are quite a lady and I look forward to reading more and getting to know you.
Children are my greatest enjoyment in life.
Thank you for your generous support.
You're most welcome. I'm looking forward to reading more of your hubs too.
Ann
Another wonderful read Eric and again leaves much food for thought whioch I always love about your hubs. Voted up and shared.
Eddy.
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Hi Eddy, thank you for all your wonderful support. Wishing you and all of Wales and a happy and prosperous New Year.
What a loving Dad! Your ability to humbly observe life through the eyes of your child is reamarkable. I enjoyed this Hub. As we grow older we tend to except things as they are. God Bless the curiosity that surrouds the heart of a child! Thanks for sharing! Voted up and tweeted out!
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Hi Emunah, loved your video hub today. Thank you for your wonderful support. My wife says she loves that I have the heart of a child -- but could I please do something with my brain ;-)
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