More often than not, we all have those times when random thoughts pop into our minds.
In my case, such mental psyche intrusions seem to occur on those drizzly and dark days when personal obligations to this, that, or the other thing are somewhat lacking.
Even in my childhood, I had a penchant for trivial knowledge. This bemused my dear mother, but also prompted her to say that I was overloading the brain with a lot of "senseless information." During my journalism studies, I respectfully suggested to her that we writers and chroniclers of news needed to know a lot about even the little things.
And, certainly, one has only to peruse various websites or see the range of "stuff" that blows up our cellphones to see that such data is still out there for us to partake of if we so choose.
Acquiring a stash of facts about a range of subjects helps in casual conversations and is really a boon to us crossword puzzle addicts.
I have always been a highly curious person -- one who is sincerely interested in the "who, what, where, when, and how" of people and events. I am not "nosy" per se but just piqued by what causes individuals to do and say what they might in certain situations.
I am really not one to pry into someone else's personal or professional life, but I genuinely want to know when this friend or acquaintance decided to become a teacher, why another acquaintance chose to study medicine, what or who influenced a fellow or sister board member to get involved in community volunteerism.
As an obsessive reader of books, I am always fascinated by the authors and works other people find compelling.
There are so many new authors out there today and so many new offerings from which we can choose the next novel or nonfiction opus.
Reading not only teaches us something about the world in which we live but adds words to our vocabularies. It is literacy's best friend.
I have wondered from time to time how many of us have considered taking a different career path. Years ago, I did -- albeit briefly -- think about forensic pathology, pediatrics, and being a cold case investigator. Medicine was out due to my poor math skills, however, being a reporter who looks into unsolved mysteries is very much like being such an investigator.
If you're a sports aficionado like me, are you becoming more unhappy with the bad behavior of many athletes?
Did you ever wonder why your tastes in clothes change at certain stages in life? And why the favorite colors that used to dot your closets have become less dominant?
Do you really become more patient with age or is it just that new annoyances have replaced the old ones?
Have you noticed that the words "Please" and "Thank you" seem more prevalent since the COVID-19 pandemic?
Is staying in close touch with longtime friends a greater priority these days?
Are you exceedingly grateful for the blessings of life?