Welcome back to this week’s potluck. The May I Have a Word series continues with a second serving. I felt an immediate draw to explore what word showed up for pondering.
It’s Curiosity. First, we should check out the ‘suggested’ meaning.
Curiosity (from Latin cūriōsitās, from cūriōsus "careful, diligent, curious", akin to cura "care") is a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident in humans and animals. Source: Wikipedia
Let’s delve into how curiosity animates. It’s a word not to be taken lightly, for curiosity has a mission. Yes, really.
Curiosity fires us up in a grand and sustaining manner. There are infinite ways we are curious. Shall we briefly explore some of the most obvious to see where we’re taken? We must. It’s our word this week.
Daily, our interest is piqued by interactions with persons, places, and things. Our ever-curious natures awaken and turn us into seekers of saying…more, please.
We may meet a fascinating person and feel drawn to know them on a deeper level. Our curiosity keeps us in their presence to become receivers and givers. Without our inquisitiveness, we might miss opportunities for meaningful exchanges with others. I’ve learned to expect the unexpected, especially when a chance encounter brings someone to me. Hang on. Maybe it’s not a chance encounter at all. That’s a setup for a future potluck.
Curiosity feeds a yearning to explore places that intrigue us. For me, it’s the Greek Islands. Their Sirens’ song, steeped in mythology, has long been a fascination of mine. Drop me off at Mykonos, where Apollo was born, and then Crete so I can pay homage to Zeus. I don’t dare risk his ire by ignoring this place. Feeling curious about myth set me on this odyssey to one day visit the islands. Your turn. What places call your interest?
Then, there’s the exposure to something that taps into our curious genes to discover the who, when, why, where, what, or how. Recently, gemstones lured me back into their world of beauty and hidden secrets. I was curious, pondering how quartz powered radios in days of yore. And they’re used in watches, televisions, cell phones, and, yes, our computers. And if this mineral can do all that, then what other gifts or attributes might other gems exhibit? Healing? Clarity of thought? Attractors of…? I had to know more. Off I went, mining gems past, present, and future, all thanks to feeling the effects of curiosity.
But the most enlivening and enriching types of curiosity happen when our attention is inner-directed. Here, we tune in to listen for answers and guidance. We find curiosity blooms when given our focus.
The act of being curious opens the portal to something far more reaching…inspiration. A word that definitely needs to make an appearance in a future edition of May I Have a Word.
Questions for you: What has your brand of curiosity led you to discover? How has feeling curious enriched your life? Why should we embrace our curious natures now more than ever? When isn’t curiosity of service? Maybe we should ask our cats. They have a long relationship with the word and its consequences. “Curiosity killed the cat.”* Thanks, Ben Johnson, for this observation.
Finally, I’m enjoying sharing the special words with you. They take on a kind of energy that carries through my week.
May your curiosity bring unexpected gifts into your coming days.
Until next time, when we potluck with one of my favorite characters, Nash Walker from Welcome to Charm. He’s inviting us on a hike and an unforgettable experience.
*Source: Every Man in His Humour, written by the English playwright Ben Johnson, 1598.
Late to read this post but fascinated as usual! You certainly have a way with words! 💗
Great post, T. And you're so right. I'm so curious about many things and people — not all are things I wish to be involved with nor are the people all ones I wish to know. But as a writer, and as one who wishes to function as well as possible, I seek to know what I can. No, I don't want to know everything at once, for being overwhelmed can shut a person down, but I believe that curiosity (not nosiness) is way more important than some imagine.