The more I talk to people, the more I realize that there is so much I don’t know. Not anything in particular, but things in general. Some things are not on my radar because of what I keep up with. Other things are things I feel I should know, but haven’t followed up on. Sometimes I find myself wanting to be a part of conversations going on around me, but because I feel I have nothing to offer, I stay silent and listen. I take in what I hear and think about how I feel about it and come to my own conclusions or do some research. But then there are the times where I do participate, and if I’m not on target with all of the information I present, or ask questions for clarity, or maybe use a different “language” then those participating in the conversation, it becomes awkward. Instead of “learning” me something, some people try to make you feel dumb because what you may have to offer is not up to “their standard”. I never understood that. You would think that if someone is showing interest in something you know about, you would want to educate them on the subject at hand. Unfortunately, I’ve been coming across some folks who feel they don’t have time to share what they know with people who are not of their “kind” - race, religion, sex, level of education, financial status, etc. I could go on.

Maybe this offends me so much because I’m the exact opposite. I always try to help someone learn or understand something that I already know, especially if they are asking me to help them. The only thing I don’t like is for people to ask you for help, and when you offer it, they make no effort to try and learn it for themselves. They just want you to be around to do it for them. Otherwise, I’m there to assist anyone in anyway I can. If I can’t help you out, I will let you know that I can’t and I will still try to help you find someone else who does, or offer you assistance in finding the information you need. younahmean? (sigh)

Anyway, with all of that said, I’m still feeling dumb - kinda. But I know what I need to do and I’m gonna get it done. I need to read more. I need to pay more attention to things that matter to me, and look into what I want learn. I’m not completely turned off from talking to certain people in certain situations, but I do know how I will handle it from now on.

Here’s to knowledge, and the sharing of it…