Asking Why

Today I was driving in the car with my kids. Exhaust fumes were BULLOWING out of the car in front of us, in a hazard like manner. My oldest likes to have control of his window, which he did at the time (and he likes it down) but for the sake of our lungs, I took over and closed the windows tight.

In an attempt to explain the situation to my fairly upset 3yr old, he started on the ‘Why’ Series. “Why did you wind our windows up? Why are exhaust fumes bad? Why is it coming from that car? Why shouldn’t we breathe it in? Why is it worse than normal air? Why?”

I had to come up with some pretty ingenious answers but two things stood out to me (innocence and wisdom from the mouths of kids ‘eh?)

– he was questioning… (obviously)

– did the answers I give him make a difference?

I’m all for a good sesh of playing devils advocate but I find people who question things for the sake of complicating a situation or to force their opinion on someone else irritate me. And I think, out of that frustration, we’ve forgotten to question.

Be it questioning faith issues, accepted societal and cultural norms; what we eat and drink, what we buy, where we buy it from, what we consume or whether or not we should commit ourselves to the Zero Waste initiative (which terrifies me!) I think what I’m learning, is the art of mindfulness (even in my own small way).

This is a HUGE topic I’m barely scratching the surface of, and I’d hate it to springboard into a group of people anti-this and anti-that. Let’s not be devisive in our differences, let’s rather encourage each other in our individual convictions.

If I can suggest one practical change in this intimidatingly huge topic it’s this: stop, and think, before autopilot takes over. I’m an easy one to talk. It’s only from personal experience and desperation did I ever think ‘outside’ of what I had assumed to be right or correct (with little thought given to it).

I’m absolutely LOVING the conversations I’m having with people who are starting to question things (in healthy ways). We learn from those around us. So instead of always having done things this-way-or-that, let’s rethink it. Start afresh. Create your own new habits. And let’s stop outsourcing solutions to others – be it in the health and food industries or even in composting and/or recycling your waste. Let’s take ownership of what we have and responsibility in what we do with it.

The cliche of ‘be the change you want to see’ is very apt. Please do.