I'll Know?

As I watched a production of Guys and Dolls (in which my daughter had a small role), I found myself pondering the lyrics of one of the show's songs, "I'll Know," in which two of the main characters say that they'll know "when their love comes along." Obviously, this being musical theater, they really just think they know, and, of course, things catch them by surprise. In any case, the song left me wondering whether we really know much. I mean, how often do we really know when to choose work and when to choose home? How often do we know when work is working, and when it's not? How often do we know when to choose money and when to choose fulfillment? When to look for something, and when to choose what's right here?
 
In times when I was out of work, "knowing" was about how I'd pay the bills, and whether I'd look for jobs out of my chosen field in order to do so. And even then, as the questions mounted, "I'll know" was a hard thing to say, since I never really knew which instincts to trust.
 
The truth is, most of the time, we don't know. We may think that we do, at least for a moment, but the moment passes quickly, and we are left with just guessing. If we are lucky, the guesses are good ones, and the outcome, though unknown, is a positive one. There are certainly things I've done without "knowing" that have turned out well, so I suppose the flip side is opportunity not completely controlled by what you know.
 
Once again, I am left wondering how life would be as musical theater. I guess, in the end, I just won't know.