high up trunk
above my head
and out of reach
mushrooms
They kinda look like cauliflower?
an internet search
suggests
they might be
lion’s mane or bear’s head
I’m not certain
and have no trouble
shrugging my shoulders and saying
I don’t know
Twenty years ago, when I carried a tiny life inside of me, I received a book.
The title was Children Learn What They Live.
I propose that the same goes for adults.
After watching last night’s presidential debate…and hearing a pundit say he thought the attacks and fierceness were great—real, lifelike—I wondered about my role in our current environment.
I (used to) like the security of knowing.
I (used to) like the confidence of an authority who could tell me whether or not it’s safe to eat the mushroom.
Okay, that’s a bad example because an expert probably does know the answer to that question.
What I’m pondering though is…what about the questions that do not have
right/wrong—yes/no answers.
What about grey areas, compromise, and truth being what we can agree on?
As a citizen, am I part of the problem?
Living in a nation where our leaders are yelling at and over each other—calling names?
Do we demand our leaders appear certain about uncertain things?
Are we receiving what we ask for?
And what do we, and our children, learn from such displays?
I also watched that TV event (no, it was NOT a debate). I was shocked, despite having seen and heard more than 4 years of Donald Trump.
We are perhaps more fortunate where I live. Our state premier, Daniel Andrews, is not afraid of saying, "I don't know; I'll get back to you on that when I have spoken to my experts." He is also not afraid to say he was wrong about something and to apologise for it.
I plan to watch the election debate between Jacinda Ardern (NZ Prime Minister) and her opponent, Judith Collins. Hopefully, it will be a lot more civil (https://youtu.be/50FHR7h3k8A).