Curiosity Journal: June 8, 2011

I’m recording an occasional Curiosity Journal, a recap of the past week or so. Tag words are: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.

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Some of you have mentioned that you may begin posting a Curiosity Journal, as well. I think Monica may start up her Curiosity Journals again. If not, I’ll toss up a linky tool later today.Reading: Progressing slowly in Sophie’s World.  I’m also finishing up Enchantment, by Guy Kawasaki, for the book club at TheHighCalling.org.Just yesterday I started to read aloud to the family Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? A Fast, Clear, and Fun Explanation of the Economics You Need For Success in Your Career, Business, and Investments (An Uncle Eric Book) by Richard J. Maybury. I got it from the library to introduce my kids to economics, but as I flipped through it, I realized I need an introduction to economics, as well.While sorting through books, I came across a children’s book called Archimedes and the Door of Science and speed-read it to see if I should hand it to my science-minded son and daughter. I came across this excerpt that seems perfect for the Curiosity Journal:

If you were a boy in Archimedes’ time, growing up on the island of Sicily or in almost any Greek city, your mind was alive with curiosity…If you were a boy in Syracuse you would spend many hours on the docks, watching the workmen and the sailors, watching the ships come and go. You would ask why a sail curved in the wind, and why a boat was built a particular way. If you were Archimedes, you probably asked why it floated at all.Nobody was too busy to stop and answer questions. Because the Greeks thought that wondering was the beginning of thinking, they asked questions about everything whether useful or useless.

How well do we support intellectual curiosity as a culture? How well do we support it in our own homes?Playing: Well, I blew it. Charity invited me to join her for an art show last weekend, but I turned her down. I should have rearranged my schedule, if only to spend a little time with a friend and guarantee a great story for the “Play” category. Learning: From Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? I’m learning about economics. From Enchantment, I was reminded of the importance of my Facebook fan page, which I have neglected. From Sophie’s World, I’m learning about the impact of Christianity from a philosophical point of view. From the children’s book Archimedes and the Door of Science, I learned how a curious culture can encourage generations of ground-breaking scientists and inventors (as well as artists, writers, and more).I also enjoyed two posts about home education: one from Mental Multivitamin and the other from Leila at Like Mother, Like Daughter.Reacting: I know this category is probably the place where I should explore my response to events like Weinergate or the upheaval in Yemen, but frankly the thing affecting my day-to-day life more than the news is a persistent, wheezy, crackly, bronchitis-y cough. I am reacting by actually making a doctor’s appointment. My husband is shocked and amazed.Writing: I wrote about childhood memories here on my blog. One post revealed my interest in libraries and mulberries, another covered a simple ‘70s memory, and last week’s Curiosity Journal offered mental snapshots of my grandmother’s house. Here’s a short one for today:One afternoon when I was young and bored (and alone in the house), I got a bottle of conditioner, laid it sideways on the piano bench, climbed up onto the bench and then jumped so that both feet would land in the middle of the bottle. Would the cap hold?Pop! Upon impact, the lid flew off and conditioner shot out like water from a hose and splattered onto the wall about three feet away. I panicked, because my dad had warned us never to mar the wallpaper, as it was of the highest quality and irreplaceable. I ran into the kitchen and grabbed wads of paper towel and swiped conditioner carefully off the wall, but it had already dampened and darkened the sage green wallpaper. If it soaked in, would it leave a permanent stain? Would a strip of wallpaper pull up? The conditioner was slick, almost slimy, and hard to remove completely. Should I use a little water, or just wipe off what I could and leave it be?I was shaking as I pressed a sheet of paper towel against the streaked stain in hopes of absorbing every possible drop of moisture. I finally just left it alone to see what it would look like after it dried. I passed through the room numerous times, watching, waiting, wondering, worrying.It eventually dried. I think it left a mark, but Dad never mentioned it. Today, a clock sits on a small table in front of the conditioner-smacked spot. I noticed last time I was visiting and found myself wondering why a child even gets the idea to try such a thing?If you ask me, I think it’s curiosity. 🙂There you have it: A Curiosity Journal that reveals what I’m reading, playing, learning, reacting to and writing.

Photo of wallpaper–though not the stained spot–taken by Ann Kroeker. Links on book titles are Amazon Associates links and will provide me with a miniscule commission should you click through and purchase.