People “wonder” every day. We wonder things like “what am I going to eat for lunch,” “what should I wear tomorrow,” or “how in the world will I ever get this done.” But have you ever stopped to wonder about things beyond everyday life? Pushed deeper than the shallow thoughts of materialism? Occasionally Mamie and I have our moments when we feel it is necessary to try to “figure out the world.” In these sessions, we typically try to fathom and understand things that simply do not matter. But if they don’t matter then why do they exist? From petty things like, “what’s the point of a mosquito,” to “what do you think stars are really for,” and Zach’s personal favorite “just how big is the universe,” –we decide on crazy analogies and answers for them all.
Personally, science (besides agricultural sciences) has always been my weak spot when it comes to school. I don’t care about enzymes, chemical equations, or metamorphic rocks. I have always been more interested in studying people and history. Where we’ve been and what we can learn from it. Whether it be fashion, violence, health care choices, or diet trends, history repeats itself. But that’s beside the point. I was originally intending to explain why I get annoyed with science.
Technological innovations and scientific discoveries have lead to some amazing advancements. Our generation is completely dependent on science and technology and I am appreciative of it all. I am a conservative idealist and though I do not deal well with change, sometime I understand that change is needed and I adapt- other times it takes me a while. However, sometime I wish we didn’t feel the need to answer every question known to man with hard evidence of atoms and molecules. Mystery is the driving force behind every question and answer. If there were no questions, there would be no need for alternative thinking. I personally love being able to think up my own explanations without them being disproven just because someone needed concrete evidence. Where’s the fun in that?
Example: Science cannot prove God’s existence, but I believe it anyways. It’s called faith. In my opinion, people who don’t have faith in anything are weak. They cannot stand up for something because they don’t know how to justify it without evidence. I say evidence-shmevidence, I’ll believe what I want to.
Not only do we “wonder,” but some people also “wander.” As the late, great J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote, “not all those who wander are lost.” Maybe the “wanderers” are the ones who really push the human race forward. They are the rangers, the searchers, the individuals searching for their own ways and reasons.
Ok, before I get all “Plato and Aristotle,” I will quit. But I will leave you with this: dare to challenge the laws and ideas of science. Wonder what you want and wander where you will. Maybe I’ll see you there.
Love always,
Addie
“To believe your own thoughts, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men–that is genius.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Breaking out of the Bootheel 