It was a full moon kind of night, and my friend and I were camping in a beautiful state park in south central Florida. We’d just gotten a lively campfire going (actually she did all the work, I was preparing to enjoy it) when a guy comes to the edge of our camp site and says something about the weather, or alligators or maybe even birds. He’s eager to strike up a conversation, and I’m eager for him to be gone so we can enjoy the solitude and wonder of the moment.
But my friend is always curious, and sees any encounter as an opportunity to learn something, so she invites him in. I lean back in my camp chair and don’t say much. My friend, however, is now fully engaged, asking him lots of questions. Soon I start to hear him mention his late wife, and the long camping trip he’s on by himself. Eventually I realize he’s lonely, and was thrilled to find someone to spend some time with. He stays for a bit and then wishes us a good night and heads out.
If you’re like me, you may not be welcoming to anything that doesn’t fit the criteria and plans you’ve already made for your day, or camping trip. After all, we’re busy people with agendas, lists to complete and usually not a lot of wriggle room in between. And I’m afraid we’ve been missing some great opportunities if we continue with that mentality. Are we really ever too busy to learn from someone else’s perspective or just see another side to something?
How can we strengthen our curiosity muscle? Meeting someone unexpectedly, considering a strange or unusual idea, taking a detour or side road instead of the regular approach to handling an issue, all can lead to serendipitous outcomes. The words “stuck in her ways” come to mind when I think how much I would like things to go exactly as I planned with no
exceptions, but since that never happens, I’m determined to be open and curious next time the unexpected comes my way. It’s certainly worth exploring the possible outcomes.
It’s been said curiosity is the compass that leads us to our passions. Follow it and you won’t be disappointed. The future belongs to the curious.
