Ask A Question

“No fugging way. That’s how horror movies start. We drop you off, walk into some stranger’s house, and five minutes later some psycho’s lobbing off my nuts with a machete while his schizophrenic wife makes Colin do push-ups on a bed of hot coals.You’re coming with us. ” ~ John Green

So I have returned dear readers. A quick show of hands- who has missed me???? 

Any ways, I come back with a tale that just recently happened and is all true.

Life does sure make for an interesting blog post.

The telephone rang and the person on the other end offered to come pick me up to hang out. But they were not very specific, and so I began to inquire and ask questions. Yet it had seemed as if the more questions that I asked about their fledgling plans for the day, the more and more aggravated that person became.

I also had noted to myself that NONE of my questions were receiving any answers. So essentially, these people had no idea where they were going, and no idea where they were going to end up. The only thing that they knew was that they were inviting me to go with them.

So the moment I realized that this person was off their rocker and getting butthurt and angry about it, I replied with a quote from The Princess Bride.

“Have fun stormin’ the Castle!!”

And that response, obviously was an unfair response to that person because I was banking on two things: Sounding clever. And that the person had never seen the film before and therefore would have NO idea what in the world I was talking about.

Mission accomplished.

These guys probably were going to end up driving around town aimlessly. It would have been all fun and games until they ran out of gas. And yes, that’s how horror films start. 

Umm, no thank you!!!

The only reason why I kept asking so many questions was because I had insufficient information about what they were going to do, so I was unable to make a concise decision on whether or not I wanted to partake. But if you have no plans whatsoever, then perhaps you should have thought it through before asking and inviting me.

At some point in time, the idea of asking questions for the sake of knowledge and obtaining information has unfortunately turned into bad juju. And I am unable to put my finger on exactly when that happened.

It is as if the idea of asking someone else a question is so wrong that it becomes encased in our brains that we will be doing something to HARM another if we ask them a question. Or that we’re probably bothering or pestering them. And we do not wish to bother our fellow mankind.

It could be because my own personal life is as such that if I do not ask people for something, that I’m never going to be able to succeed. The fact of the matter is that I will from time to time, need help. But that is a different kind of example.

I just do not see the big problem to ask someone a question for the sake of obtaining knowledge and information. How else are we supposed to survive in this big scary world of ours? Ignorance is does not have to be inherent. I mean, we grow up with ignorance, but if we choose to remain so… then that choice comes with consequences that I don’t even want to think about.

If people didn’t ask me questions about my disability… how else would I expect them NOT to be afraid of me??

So I shake my head at the person who called. But more so at their actions which were to be quick to anger. And I stand firm in the belief that we ALL need to ask questions every once in a while.

 

 

 

Always Ask!!

“Don’t Make Assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.”~ Miguel Angel Ruiz

 

This quote right here would be just enough for this post. I do not think that I could have said this any better than what is written.

 

There’s just that one thing that separates us from our lives, good from bad, and that is the assumption. The assumption is something that you are taking for granted. For the most part through communicative issues, the assumption will always lead into dangerous territory. And it doesn’t matter if you know the person two years or eleven years or fifty years.

 

I do not see the problem with adding one question into a conversation when doubt and confusion arise.

 

“What did you mean by that?”.

 

Trust me, if the person you are talking to is just as concerned with getting their point across without confusion, they aren’t going to mind it too much to give a brief summary and explanation as to what they just said. And once that is understood, the conversation can proceed as usual.

 

I found myself the other night having to do the same thing. In my head, I had assumed what the other person was meaning but just to be safe I asked about it. And very forunate to say that I was right all along but it could’ve been a mess if I was wrong.

 

To live in the world of assumptions and taking for granted what people are saying to us, is a very plausible and agonizing direction to take into the descent of madness.

 

My own personal thought is that there is nothing wrong with asking for clarification. “Always ask, never assume.”

 

CYA is just a part of life. You must do for yourself rather than allow the smallest bit of misdirection guide you into the pitfalls of frustration. If you don’t cover your ass, then you’re going to end up looking like one.

 

There’s never been any situation or circumstance throughout human history where asking a question was a “bad idea”. It only seems like a “bad idea” when we are faced with answers that we either were not expecting or hoping for. Generally the question itself was not bad.

 

Always ask. Take the moments away from the conversation to find out for sure what the person is talking about. Gain that knowledge and better understanding so that you are still on the same page.