Curiosity

About a week ago on Facebook - someone posted a picture of Albert Einstein and challenged everyone to study the picture and if they looked hard enough they would actually see Marlyn Monroe.

Well I studied that picture and all I saw was a photo shopped picture and wasn't impressed at all.................

Then this week I went to a conference at the School Board and was learning about "Destination Imagination" and the animator quoted Albert Einstein as saying "Imagination is more important than knowledge".  (I totally agree with that statement - in fact have believed that from my very first day teaching - so I was pleasantly surprised that someone of some repute agreed with me)

Then on Tuesday - I think it was - I was standing at the stairs greeting the kids coming down to lunch and one young chap came down sporting a t-shirt that said " Strive not to be a success - but to be of value"   (I love reading his t-shirts - there is always some smart comment on them)

Then last night I was reading some post or other on Fetlife and a saying flitted through my head "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".   I had no idea where it came from and decided to look it up........ because I know so many people who do that... keep repeating the same mistakes... hell even I have been guilty of that one!!!

Lo and behold ...... it was Albert Einstein who said each and every one of those quotes.  Yeah yeah I know all of you already knew that right???? 

Well it got me thinking (probably stupid thoughts) ... but I couldn't help it.. the thought I had was............ HE was more than just mathematics !!!  

See to me - the silly lil blonde who sat in the back of math class with huge butterflies fluttering about - knowing .. KNOWING.. I was never gonna GET it....... figured someone like Albert Einstein was so far removed from my world there was no point in learning anything about him.

And yet - here I am - some 50+ years later finding out that the man had a wealth of knowledge for the common folk - like me - who could barely add 1+1 and come up with 2.    

I figured after this week of Albert Einstein quotes / pictures popping up in my life I should maybe take a look at this man that I figured was wayyyyyyyyy beyond my simple mind.  And I discovered he said a lot of down to earth - smack you upside the head - kind of things.

Figured I would share with you all the one that spoke to me the loudest........"I have no special talent - I am only passionately curious."

And so I have something in common with this genius who has intimidated me for most of my life.............. Curiosity. 

Curiosity has driven me to learn science in my 30's and 40's ... curiosity has driven me to find out about the history of BDSM way back to WWII.. curiosity has driven me to study child psychology and try and figure out what makes some of my more difficult children tick.......... curiosity is what keeps me sitting quietly in the corner at most social events - studying the interactions of people around me........... (and tends to lead people to think I am a snob) ......... curiosity is what has lead me to learn about religions - a lot of the world's religions - and to accept them for what they are.... a belief system for people. Curiosity is what keeps me getting out of bed every day - and wondering what the day will offer me...... what new challenges .. what new surprises.. what new things of beauty..... 

And who knows........ maybe knowing Albert Einstein believed in the power of persevering one of these days I will actually understand/ get / SEE the math in front of me... and discover it isn't really all that daunting !