But I'm afraid this brain of mine is so filled with day-to-day swirl, and with the things I NEED to know in order to make it through the day, that often there's little room left for what I SHOULD know in order to properly consider myself a well-rounded, semi-informed individual.
Just off the top of my head:
Which [3] Irish authors should I read?
Which [3] of their works should I read?
Speaking if Ireland, what [3] things should I know about the country? Or about France? Or Russia? Or India? Or Japan? Or Somalia? Or the Middle East? Or...
What about the United States? What are the [3] seminal events that all Americans should know? What [3] things about those events are most interesting or most important?
Who were the [3] most influential people in our country's history? What [3] things did they do that made them so?
What [3] works of art should I know? Or which [3] artists?
What about great literature? [3] authors? [3] works?
What is macroeconomics? What [3] things should I know about that discipline?
[And microeconomics? Really? Isn't that just little bits of the big picture? What [3] things should I know about that? Why should I care about it?] What IS GDP?
What are the [3] best movies ever made? What [3] things should I look for - including cameos! - when I watch them?
What [3 things] should I know about baking? Or cooking, in general? Sewing? Cleaning glass shower doors?
The internet.
The environment.
Music.
Exercise. Nutrition.
How to make great soup.
Caves.
Canals.
Grammar.
The ocean. Tides. Solar and wind power. Oil based fuel.
Feuds. Feudal England.
Gardening. Lawn care.
Football. Rugby. Cricket. [and other less violent sports like ice skating or fishing or bowling]
Satellites.
Stars.
You can see where this is going. I AM CURIOUS!
Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to walk into a party, full of strangers, and talk with anyone there? Sometimes, just knowing a little bit about a subject informs us about which questions to ask in order to have a conversation.
[And what makes you a sparkling conversationalist? When you ask questions and listen to the answers!]
Rather than rely on my fleeting knowledge of any of the topics that interest me, I will be reaching out to experts in the various fields: university professors, chefs, business people, clergy, horticulturists, government officials, grandmas and grandpas...
and ask them to offer a short, interesting treatise on 3 things I should know about their subject. They will receive credit - and my undying gratitude - on the blog. I will ask them to provide sources for those whose appetites have been whetted and would like to delve a little deeper into the topic.
This can be interesting - and important. It's important and fun to learn something new as often as we can. It's important and fun to find ways to talk to one another. It's important and fun to remain curious.
Feel free to request topics you'd like to know a little bit about...
Join me.
[Oh, and just for fun, run to your dictionary or your dictionary.com and look up this word: defenestration. Who knew?]
And by the way, the shower doors? Clean them with shampoo. With thanks to my buddy, Sheila Daly.
