Congratulations !
You have been awarded points.
Thank you for !
- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: Character Based
- Published: 07/17/2015
The story of Why.
Born 1951, M, from Wilmington NC, United StatesNo one knew where he came from. He just kinda was always there. You never really noticed him, until the second or third- why? Why that is, well…why - I don’t know. It just is.
Why hated that answer: “ It just is!”, worse than all the other answers: none of your business, I don’t know why, because, because I said so, ask your mother. The list of answers to why someone did not know why, was much longer than the actual answers why. It just is, however, was the one answer that Why hated more than the rest. Because it meant that no one every stopped to question why, not even one single solitary time. “It just is.” To Why, not asking why, and accepting what…”just is,” is tantamount to saying: "I don’t know, I don’t care, don’t ask me again. “
Why liked talking with three, four, and five year old children, for they all knew Why, and when to use him. They always asked why. In fact, they often used it several times in a row, as any adult lucky enough to have a curious three, four, or five year old will tell you. Unfortunately, it is those same lucky to have a curious three, four, or five year old child, who end up putting why off. Not on purpose, but because they are just to busy, or don’t know how to explain to a child, that they don’t really know why.
Instead of answers to : “Why?” Children often get the why litany mentioned above as a series. It goes something like this:
“Why Mommy?”
“Because.”
“Why because?”
“Because that is the way I was taught.”
“Why were you taught that way?”
“I don’t know why.”
“Why don’t you know?”
“I guess because my Mom never taught me why she did it that way, she just taught me to do it that way.”
“Why?”
“Because she was to busy. Now, go play.”
What happens when Why is treated like that, is we miss knowing why we do what we do. Why? Because it is easier not to think about things to much, especially things that seem to matter, but no one knows why they do them. Like this conversation with a five year old girl:
“Why do we go to church Mommy?”
“Because it is the right thing to do.”
“Why?”
“Because God wants us to go to church.”
“Why?”
“Because if we don’t go to church, we won’t be good people.”
“Why?”
“Because where else would you learn to be a good girl?”
“Can’t you teach me to be a good girl?”
“Well, yes.”
“So, why do you need God?”
I once overheard a similar conversation, one where Why caused everyone to come up short. It went like this:
“ Why are we Catholic?”
“Because we go to Catholic Church.”
“But, why are we Catholic?”
“Because my Mom and Dad were Catholic.”
“Oh, why were they Catholic?”
“Because their Mom and Dad were Catholic.”
“Why do you have to join the Church your Mom and Dad belonged to?”
“Because, well, it is easier.”
“Why?”
“Because you already know about it, are comfortable with it, and it saves you from asking big questions.”
“Why?”
“Because most people don’t really think about their spirituality until something in their life is to big a challenge to handle on their own. Then they have to come to grips with what they believe, and why.”
Why loved that last sentence. Why? Because it is a thoughtful answer even though it only hints at the process. Why loves answers that lead to more why’s. I don’t why. He just does. Why not?
Why not, is Why’s second cousin. He show up when you challenge something, and want to do it differently. Usually he shows up in reaction to Authoritarian commands:
“Hey, you can’t stand there!”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
Because shows up a lot when you ask why not. Most of the cool technology around us, comes from people who said: “Why not?”
“You can’t put a man on the moon!”
“Why not?”
And they did put a man on the moon. Several, in fact.
“You can’t cure polio!”
“Why not?”
And they did cure polio.
“Man cannot fly!”
“Why not?”
Man did fly. In less than a century, man went from gliding, to propellers, to jets, to rockets, to the moon. A very clear case of “Why not?” at work. When Why and Why Not got together at family reunions, that was one of their favorite stories to tell the youngsters: How, and How Come.
Smiles. Kevin “I wonder why” Hughes
The story of Why.(Kevin Hughes)
No one knew where he came from. He just kinda was always there. You never really noticed him, until the second or third- why? Why that is, well…why - I don’t know. It just is.
Why hated that answer: “ It just is!”, worse than all the other answers: none of your business, I don’t know why, because, because I said so, ask your mother. The list of answers to why someone did not know why, was much longer than the actual answers why. It just is, however, was the one answer that Why hated more than the rest. Because it meant that no one every stopped to question why, not even one single solitary time. “It just is.” To Why, not asking why, and accepting what…”just is,” is tantamount to saying: "I don’t know, I don’t care, don’t ask me again. “
Why liked talking with three, four, and five year old children, for they all knew Why, and when to use him. They always asked why. In fact, they often used it several times in a row, as any adult lucky enough to have a curious three, four, or five year old will tell you. Unfortunately, it is those same lucky to have a curious three, four, or five year old child, who end up putting why off. Not on purpose, but because they are just to busy, or don’t know how to explain to a child, that they don’t really know why.
Instead of answers to : “Why?” Children often get the why litany mentioned above as a series. It goes something like this:
“Why Mommy?”
“Because.”
“Why because?”
“Because that is the way I was taught.”
“Why were you taught that way?”
“I don’t know why.”
“Why don’t you know?”
“I guess because my Mom never taught me why she did it that way, she just taught me to do it that way.”
“Why?”
“Because she was to busy. Now, go play.”
What happens when Why is treated like that, is we miss knowing why we do what we do. Why? Because it is easier not to think about things to much, especially things that seem to matter, but no one knows why they do them. Like this conversation with a five year old girl:
“Why do we go to church Mommy?”
“Because it is the right thing to do.”
“Why?”
“Because God wants us to go to church.”
“Why?”
“Because if we don’t go to church, we won’t be good people.”
“Why?”
“Because where else would you learn to be a good girl?”
“Can’t you teach me to be a good girl?”
“Well, yes.”
“So, why do you need God?”
I once overheard a similar conversation, one where Why caused everyone to come up short. It went like this:
“ Why are we Catholic?”
“Because we go to Catholic Church.”
“But, why are we Catholic?”
“Because my Mom and Dad were Catholic.”
“Oh, why were they Catholic?”
“Because their Mom and Dad were Catholic.”
“Why do you have to join the Church your Mom and Dad belonged to?”
“Because, well, it is easier.”
“Why?”
“Because you already know about it, are comfortable with it, and it saves you from asking big questions.”
“Why?”
“Because most people don’t really think about their spirituality until something in their life is to big a challenge to handle on their own. Then they have to come to grips with what they believe, and why.”
Why loved that last sentence. Why? Because it is a thoughtful answer even though it only hints at the process. Why loves answers that lead to more why’s. I don’t why. He just does. Why not?
Why not, is Why’s second cousin. He show up when you challenge something, and want to do it differently. Usually he shows up in reaction to Authoritarian commands:
“Hey, you can’t stand there!”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
Because shows up a lot when you ask why not. Most of the cool technology around us, comes from people who said: “Why not?”
“You can’t put a man on the moon!”
“Why not?”
And they did put a man on the moon. Several, in fact.
“You can’t cure polio!”
“Why not?”
And they did cure polio.
“Man cannot fly!”
“Why not?”
Man did fly. In less than a century, man went from gliding, to propellers, to jets, to rockets, to the moon. A very clear case of “Why not?” at work. When Why and Why Not got together at family reunions, that was one of their favorite stories to tell the youngsters: How, and How Come.
Smiles. Kevin “I wonder why” Hughes
- Share this story on
- 9
COMMENTS (0)