Not Knowing Is

The first time he ever voted, it was for Jimmy Carter. How could he go wrong? After all, who wouldn’t want an all-American farm-boy with a brother named Billy, a big smile, and a fuzzy sweater in the White House? Apparently, that did include the boy who voted for him. To this day, he talks down Jimmy Carter every chance he gets, gleans info on his terrible policies years ago, and ever-bemoans his personal decision to vote for him. “I should have known.” is the mantra.




We all make decisions we can’t know all the factors too, and we regret like that: at the polls, dinner plans, light-bulb brands, sausage vs. bacon in the morning one day. But what difference does it make to anything at all? Except it does. It changes the individual who makes the decision. It changes subtly how they think of themselves and therefore how they view the world.



Here’s the thing. You’re not supposed to know all the answers. You’re supposed to learn and grow from those situations. You’re supposed to know that you really aren’t in control, and that’s a good place to start. You just do your best with what you know and leave the results to heaven’s wind.



Tea is magnificent. There are thousands of kinds. (Not technically, I know. But bear with me, fellow aficionados.) You stand in the tea aisle at the grocery, or in front of the glass cases at the Shoppe. I don’t know about you, but my eyes dilate contemplating all the possibilities, intricate smells, and delicious samples. But how do you choose? If you love every minute like me, it doesn’t ultimately matter. You will either select an old favorite or pick an unknown. You choose the unknown not knowing all the factors and take joy in that very idea.



If you knew all the right answers, if you did the right thing the first time you put on skates, if you were born as a plastic surgeon with three degrees—you would pity yourself even more than I pity you. If you are experiencing life as a peaceful connoisseur, you will take joy and pleasure from your unknowns and learning through them. Nobody gets the right answers every time—and you’re not supposed to, technically. Besides, it helps your blood pressure—and your heart…and your liver…and your kidneys—not to mention your brain….



Keep calm. Enjoy some things just the way they are.