Wonder
“Why do we come, sometimes spontaneously, to wonder about something? I think that wondering to one’s self occurs when an experience conflicts with our fixed ways of seeing the world.” Albert Einstein
“Wonder, rather than doubt, is the root of knowledge.” Abraham Herschel
Yesterday, I was out in my back yard wondering what to do about the riot of green life that, in three days of rain, has taken over the fence line and is rapidly marching toward my house. I could see myself waking up one morning soon with trumpet vine and morning glory engulfing my entire existence. Three days ago desert conditions existed out there—I thought then that a few prickly pears and century plants might be a good idea. I noticed that my neighbor had planted some large aloes in pots along his driveway---which got me wondering exactly what he’s up to in his yard.
Last weekend, a big earth-moving machine unloaded over there and growled its way to his back yard. I heard much chugging and clanking. So, I stuck my nose through the twelve-foot-high wooden fence he’s erected around his perimeter, and lo and behold, saw a muddy road bed cut into his back yard.
This young man runs a landscaping business out of his house which, of course, is against the zoning laws in our residential neighborhood. It’s also a wonder to me because he has a hard time keeping anything alive in his yard. He’s killed numerous trees and shrubs over there. I think he’s got a brown thumb. Now he’s laid the foundation for a greenhouse just off his patio and with the roadbed scraped into his backyard, he’s all set to move his operation behind the fence so it won’t be visible from the street. See how much you can learn from one simple “wondering” session. Some might call it snooping, but I’m all about wonder myself.
Einstein wrote about wondering, as a child of five, why a compass needle behaves so strangely. Its erratic spinning didn’t fit into the usual explanation of an orderly world. That single experience formed the foundation of a lifetime of wondering about “how God works.” It was the mystery that fueled his curiosity.
Lao Tzu said, “From wonder to wonder, existence opens.” Wonder is one of the most essential ingredients of a rich and varied life. It is the natural state of a curious mind. I know you are curious as to what I will do about my neighbor’s nefarious business, but that’s for me to know and you to wonder about.
Smiling at you,
Jane
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