But (S)he Was Always Curious

I have loved Curious George since I was a child.  Not only was he a cute little character (which goes a long way!), he always had to figure things out, to follow his curiosity, even when it got him into crazy situations.

Practically every day this year has been a new "Georgish" adventure for me.  Instead of heading off, almost on auto-pilot, to a job I knew inside and out, I have watched my husband and kids go off to face the world (as the Man with the Yellow Hat always did), while my own day was often still to be determined.  Would there be a networking coffee that left me scrambling to meet the school bus on time?  Would the day include buying groceries to attempt a never before made recipe?  Though I rarely got myself into jams quite like George's, I was not usually satisfied to sit back and just enjoy the home and family time that I suddenly had after so many years of full-time work.  I had to be moving ahead, always, like George, exploring the next thing.  Would I write a children's book?  Would I get enough equipment and training to be a full-time at-home editor?  Would I learn enough about accounting to run the business end of things?  Every day has been full of questioning (some good, some bad) and curiosity, like George's.

When I started reading Curious George books to my children, I always changed the words "too curious," to just "curious," so that they would never think curiosity was a bad thing.  Yes, George's curiosity got him broken legs and swallowed puzzle pieces, but it also got him adventures in animal shows and the chance to make sad children happy.  And, while my exploration has led to some dead ends, some disappointments, and some jobs that started and ended, I can't think of my curiosity as a bad thing.  It has enabled me to meet new people.  It has given me a window into lots of different areas, and it has given me (as a friend reminded me today) the opportunity to learn about myself and spend time with my family.

So, with George by my side, I will try to remain very curious, even when it hurts, and hopefully, even when I have less time for curiosity.  I would never have let my children think that curiosity was a bad thing, and I'd better not let myself think so either.