I worry sometimes that blogging implies that I have something to say or that I know something. Because today (it is, mind you an extremely hot day) I feel that I know next to nothing. Recently, I read in a book how a character described himself as “the world’s leading expert on absolute and total ignorance.” Today, I stand humbly with this character. I am not the leading expert on absolute and total ignorance but feel rather that the importance of knowing nothing is underrated.
I recently gave birth to my second child, a daughter. I learned during her birth that knowing nothing is desirable during incredible challenges. As I entered the hospital, I thought I knew how to do this whole bringing a baby into the world, after all I had been through 26 hours of it with my son. But as her labor took it’s own twists and turns, I understood how it’s best to approach life’s challenges not knowing anything. Each challenge brings it’s own unique obstacles. Her birth ended up being even longer, a record 36 hours of labor and it wasn’t until the last few hours that I realized if I stopped comparing the births then I’d have a lot more success in her journey out of the womb.
Another way I’m reminded not knowing things is a superior approach to life is watching my toddler son. His whole life is exploring and discovering the world around him for the first time with complete ignorance which always leads him to absolute wonder. I envy his joy as he finds the best and worst things in life. I filmed him at a recent excursion to the Bay Area Discovery Museum and put it together in a short film. We could probably all stand to be a little more like a toddler and become experts on approaching the world and problems with complete ignorance.
Enjoy: