Perspectives: What Don't You Know? - What I Don't Know Doesn't Hurt Me

MickeySr. began this series back in October of 2012. The additional members of the team are myself, Docmo, Martie and Maria. Our goal is to speak our piece and see how others respond. Each month we invite a guest writer. This month we are pleased to welcome Vicki and her perspective.

Without further ado, here is my perspective on this month's issue:

What Don't You Know?

Our Godfather of the Perspectives Team gave us some food for thought for this month’s theme. It is a quote by Hugo DeGroot and it goes like this: “Ignorance of certain subjects is a great part of wisdom”. Mickey then followed that with a question he posed to us: “Of what subjects are you ignorant?”

Well, folks I’m afraid I can’t answer that question and stay within the rules set by MAW (maximum allowable words), so I will venture forth with what has been one of my mantras for my entire adult life and that is:

What’s that you say? Some of you may call me an ostrich with my head stuck in the sand, but to be honest, what I don’t know doesn’t hurt me.

I don’t know how to shoot a gun because I don’t live in fear, therefore I don’t need to know how to shoot a gun, nor do I have any desire to learn. I hate guns. They scare me. Not the supposed need for them, but the cold steel deadly weapons themselves scare me. That may sound like a contradiction, but it's not. If I owned a gun, I would live in fear for the mere reason that I own a gun because I anticipate having to use it.

If I'm confusing you, read on and perhaps you'll understand my reasoning.

Think of an animal that senses your fear. He will protect himself through aggression when he smells your fear. By the same token, if I don’t keep my home stocked with deadly weapons, I will not have the need to use them against attackers who sense my fear. So far this philosophy has worked for me. I’m still alive, have a home I feel safe in and see life through (proverbial) rose-colored glasses. There is no hate or fear when I look through those glasses. I’ve passed out a few virtual pairs to my dear Hubbers who have asked for them. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll send a pair your way!

My rose-colored glasses turn my blue eyes purple, which is my favorite color. It’s a color of passion and that’s how I live my life. I’m passionate for what I do know, even if it’s not pretty. I’m passionate for our soldiers. I’m passionate about dreams and reaching for them. I’m passionate about being the best mother and mentor I can be. I’m passionate about reaching out for those who need a hug, a heart, a shoulder, an ear. I try to reap what I sow and do what I can to help.

I’m passionate about Life and what I don’t know doesn’t hurt me.

I don’t know why the sky is blue or the grass is green (ok, I know why the grass is green) or why birds chirp and some people can’t sing.

Not knowing those things doesn’t hurt me.

My brother is color blind, yet that doesn’t stop him from being an artist. He sees colors in hues and the emotions they elicit. He sees color with his heart. I would venture to say he sees colors more clearly than you and I. Take a look at some of his paintings and look deeply. You will see images within images and color combinations that make you think. His paintings and sculptures have sold for hundreds of dollars. He’s been featured in art shows and has given a lecture on artistry for the color blind. My brother was featured in an article in a local newspaper as "hearing color". I know my brother. He doesn't hear color, he feels color. He's an amazing artist who doesn't let the fact that he doesn't see things as you and I stop him. He sees life as a palette and everything in life can be made beautiful.

You see, what he doesn’t know doesn’t hurt him.

I refuse to watch the news because the talking heads have nothing good to say. There is so much good that goes on in the world, but they choose to not talk about that. I hear my mother’s voice: “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all”.

I refuse to live in fear or feel guilty because I’m not repressed. Yes, there is a multitude of people in the world who are repressed, but I can’t be a shoulder to them all. Conversely, there is a multitude of people in the world who celebrate life as if there will be no tomorrow. That’s how I choose to live.

What I don’t know doesn’t hurt me.

I won’t go on longer than I need to in order to make my point. You either get it or you don’t. Life is hard but life is beautiful. It’s what you make of it.

What I don’t know doesn’t hurt me.