Questions

Questions

How awesome they are! Do you go 5 minutes without asking one? Be it in my mind or out loud, questions continually pop up in my head. What questions you ask? Oh, questions related to anything and everything. Some really good ones, some bad ones, some evil, some sad, some angry, some curious, some genuine, some fake, some new, some old. Many questions are repeated over the weeks, months, or even years. Is the purpose of life to find answers to our questions? (Note that even this statement became a question!)

Do you remember the times you used to question everything? How does a car work? How does a lorry work? Why do I have to go to school? When can I eat ice cream? Where is the train? When can I go to play? When will I get older? What is the meaning of this? Why is she sad? How do I do this? These were probably easy ones. People answered them, most of the times convincingly. They thought I asked too many questions. Even then, they took pains to answer me. Sometimes they did not know the answers themselves. But they first found out the answers, then made it easy for me to understand, and then explained to me patiently. And me being me, I asked questions about their answers.

As we started getting older, questions started to multiply. We saw so many sights, people, places, events, joys and sorrows. It was impossible not to question them. My curiosity knew no limits. Questions were overflowing in my head. How does the TV work? How to go to America? What is war? Why do people become sick? Why do some people wear a burqa? How are babies born? Explaining these to a young person is tricky. Knowing that any answer will only invite more questions, they started answering my questions in less detail. They told me places where I could find answers.

Questions became less clear and more piercing as we grew older. Why do people use cuss words? Why do some people on TV wear such skimpy clothes?  Why did I get a half ticket even though I am 13? Why did you eye that person with suspicion just because he had a long beard? Why do you worship that stone? Where is God? Why are bad things happening? Needless to say, these questions weren’t answered. Some questions weren’t even entertained. The “answer” was to do as told, no questions to be asked. Naturally this didn’t satisfy my curiosity.

But my questions weren’t over yet. I just had no one to ask them to. Maybe friends? Nope. I mean, different people had different opinions, faiths, and so on. One might think that the question is derogatory and the asker is crazy. Who knows how people will react under such situations? Thence started the fear of asking questions out loud. The number of questions did not diminish, they just weren’t asked. Some things were just accepted as fact, some were accepted because there was no choice, some, because that is just the way things are done.

Adulthood is probably full of this. Questions were now not just unanswered, they were left unasked. Imagine a world where any question could be asked, freely! And probably get an honest answer as well. It would be a good world. Even people who don’t generally ask questions would get theirs answered. It would allow for free flow of knowledge, experiences, thoughts, joys, sorrows, and most importantly, love. A lot more of romance, if truth be told. :)