Simple Curiosity

Today, I want to set the record straight. Curiosity may have killed the cat, as they say, but it was an indispensable part of my childhood. My parents never introduced us to video games, and we didn't have cable TV, so when my sisters and I became bored with the barbie dolls and hours of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," we turned to the only resource we had left: the outdoors. We were usually barefoot, supervised through the glass back door of our house, and we always took a dog with us for protection, believing our four-legged companions could fight off any evil that may cross our paths. We were indian princesses, safari hunters, secret spies, and every type of animal you can think of. We explored every inch of our then 10 acre backyard and made it our own.

Those were the days, right? Now I hardly have time to clean my room, much less go on lengthy expeditions through the wilderness. But there are other ways to explore your surroundings, as I've discovered. When I was little, I used to read the encyclopedia and dictionary - not for school projects or for a specific piece of information - for FUN. I know what you're thinking, I must not have had any friends.. Which is not true!! I was simply curious. I wanted to know everything about everything, especially anything that crawled, swam, flew, or grew out of the ground. There is a CDE (career development event) in FFA called Nursery and Landscape Judging. This involves, among other things, the ability to identify over 200 different plants. This contest is the primary reason I can no longer run through neighborhoods, and why my friends hate going anywhere with me because I will identify plants the entire time. Not only do I know every plant on the list, but I usually also recognize any other plant typically used in the landscape, not because I have to, but because once you know a few plants, you want to know them ALL. I frequent the San Antonio Botannical Gardens with the same enthusiasm and wonder as a small child at the zoo.

Speaking of zoos, I have been to a few. My dad used to work at the San Antonio Zoo back in the day, managing the small mammals and some breeding programs, so I know my animals, African, Asian, Amazonian, Australian, and even the most obscure, unappreciated species. I've also been to the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC and the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL. And yes, I drag my friends along with me, and yes, we have to see EVERYTHING. But as I've gotten older, I don't always have time to investigate everything. It is not humanly possible, as my good friend David told me once, to read every single plaque and piece of information about every object in the museum. We were in the famous Field Museum in Chicago - you know, home of the largest and most complete T-Rex skeleton in the world?? We only had time to glance through the exhibits, take a few pictures in front of "Sue", and skeddadle onto our next commitment at the conference.

I was crestfallen that I didn't have hours upon hours to peruse all the museum had to offer. But as I watched some other students go through the museum, it occured to me that some people never stop to read the plaques. You know, the plastic things they attach to every animal enclosure or exhibit, basically briefing you on the who, what, when, where, why, and how of that particular item. Some people are habitually hurried, so much so that there is no space for curiosity. No time to ask why, no time to wonder how, and absolutely no time to investigate. I think that's more than a little sad; it's contrary to human nature. We were born to ask questions and pursue knowledge beyond that which we are given. We hear all the time that knowledge is power and I'm here to tell you it's the absolute truth. Why not obtain it for yourself? Don't lose that child-like curiosity, cherish it. When your busy schedule permits you to go to a museum, a zoo, or even just a historical site in your town, take the extra time. Read the plaques. Even if it's tedious, even if it means getting off the beaten path a little. I promise it'll be worth it, it might even be fun. And if it isn't, you never have to do it again! But give knowledge a chance. It doesn't make you a nerd, it makes you human.

- Shelbs