The Gift, and the Curse

I just had a 4 hour conversation with my parents. This usually doesn't happen; me being a man of few words, and all. The conversation didn't really bother me, but it was the following realization afterwards. It started when my Mother asked me "Do you drink?" A simple question requiring a simple answer. On any other night I might have given a straight answer, but this night I just couldn't help but make a mountain out of a mole hill. Instead of saying "yay", or "nay" I wanted to know if she knew what she was really asking. I gave a "politicians" answer (answering the question with a question), I dissected the question so I could get her to tell me what was really on her mind.



Now....... I am pretty used to dealing with my parents, and their narrow minded views, but something was different about tonight. While I was battling back, and forth about the complexities of the question she asked me. It occurred to me that maybe my deep thinking, logical mind, is a curse?



In my youth, I heard the phrase "What you don't know won't kill you" or something to this effect. It was something about the less you know, the less pain you feel. The exact words slip my mind, but while I struggled with my parents about my explanation of why some questions in life don't always have a yes, or no answer. I remember a thought I had O so many years ago: If its true that the ignorant you are, the less things hurt you, than maybe the inverse is also true. Possibly the more you know.........The more knowledge you gain, the more you are punished for knowing it. For example, I'm sure everyone has experienced a situation that you wish, you would not have know anything about the topic. You opened an e-mail the other day telling you about how the neighborhood "bad ass" is roaming the streets slapping neighborhood puppies. So you (in an effort to not get your furry friend slapped) lock him in the house, with all the windows nailed shut. And the next day you find out it was all a hoax, but its to late to avoid the puddles your pet has created by not being let out of the house to use the "bathroom". This might not be the best example of what I'm trying to convey, but its necessary to show how sometimes (very few in my opinion) ignorance sometimes can be bliss. So, coming back to one of the many pointless battle with my parents, that can never be won by either side. I started to give them examples of how there are "grey" areas in life. How everything doesn't always have to be a "yes, or no" answer. As I was acting out a particular scenario, deep feelings that I once had in my teenage years started to surface. Is it possible that "deep thinkers" like myself, and a chosen few people on the planet, have been given the gift of an open, intelligent, thirst for knowledge mind? or have been cursed with the solitary, often misunderstood logic, and weirdness that comes along with being so much different than everyone else?



For example, A young 14 year old boy in school, is being "picked-on", and harassed by his fellow peers. He sometimes says weird things because his mind constantly asks questions, and wants to learn, but he hasn't yet learned how to ask tactfully. The other children will not befriend him, and make fun of him from groups that dress, talk, and act identically. Now...... this boy is gifted with a mind that will learn, and grow far beyond his immediate classmates. While they refer to him as a nerd, and point fingers, he is understanding how space is a vacuum, and how a pendulum works. On the other side of the coin, while the boy's mind grows, he is looked upon, as eccentric, and odd, because of this talent. Yes, the boy can experience life in a way that most people can't. He will have a greater understand, and be able to manipulate anything he puts his mind to. But on the opposite side, He will have to suffer for his knowledge. The boy will learn of the many kinds of poisonous snakes in the wild, and will in turn never go on a hiking, or camping trip. The kid will read the homicide, and drunken driving statistics, and not want to work up the courage to walk to a friends house for a New Years eve party. It might have been a good idea to know about the info that could possibly save his life, but at the same time it might put a grinding halt on once in a lifetime opportunities. Like say at the party; the boy could have met his first girlfriend, or he could have stopped a friend from getting in the car after downing an entire bottle of "Randy's special cough medicine". Sometimes the aquired knowledge can have its drawbacks.


Now that I have explained how the gift of "open mindedness" could be within itself a curse, lets examine the positive aspects. Having an open mind can mean different things to different people. An idea as easy, and trivial as this, can boggle some minds. While a chosen few are gifted with the ability to take it a step further. For example, I may know someone that is a talented poet, or maybe has the mental focus to perform telekinesis. One of the best things about being this person is that fact that its open! You can express yourself in countless different ways. You are not put into a category: short, tall, funny, ugly, or witty. Unlike the "mainstream" way of thinking, open minded people can excel in their own personal way. They don't have the same music, eat the same food, or dress the same way as everyone else. Now, I know there was some "individualist" movement a while back, and now everyone thinks they are unique. But if you really look at it, that whole movement was just to try to get the average person to be "open minded". There's nothing wrong with this I think, because it just makes the genuine article work harder, and advance their thinking. The Diamonds are forced to shine brighter when you polish the rubies. So, Its my opinion that some people are meant to "think outside the box". There are certain people that have an unquenchable need, to test the boundaries, and learn every detail of the question "why". Also, I think that we should acknowledge these people, because without them there would be no advancement. There would just be puppets, and puppet masters.