By Edwin Cooney
This weekend begins my fifteenth season writing these weekly musings. When I introduced myself back on Wednesday, June 15th, 2005, my first topic was founded upon the following observation: You may not be what you think you are, but what you think, you are. In other words, your thought process reflects what or who you are more than any self-explanation of what or who you think you are!
Those of you who go back to that day as a reader of these musings may also recall my three basic goals for writing these columns. They are to inform, to stimulate thought, and to entertain the reader. I asserted back then that if any column failed to accomplish one of those three goals, that column would constitute a failure.
Fifteen Junes ago, I didn't challenge anyone to reveal who they thought they were or what they thought about which I then suggested would reveal to themselves who they really were.
This year, I'm inviting you to explore that which energizes you to wonder. What raises you enough out of your intellectual or emotional lethargy to grab your notice and potentially evoke a reaction from you? The answer to that inquiry is up to you to share or not to share.
For as far back as I can remember, I've heard references to the "seven wonders of the world,” natural and manmade structures revealing the priorities and creativity of past cultures. These natural and manmade "wonders" have fascinated and inspired the imaginations and creativity of men and women across time, cultures, political beliefs, and the increasing sophistication of technology.
Most significant and interesting of all to me is what makes you and me wonder? The answer to this question is as individual as any answer can be. If you're a wonderer, what causes you to wonder? If you seldom or never wonder—wow!!!
When you wonder, do you focus more on if or more on why? If you wonder why, how often do you really and truly want an answer? If you wonder if, what information do you expect to get from that inquiry, or are you only looking for reinforcement of conclusions which you've already reached? If you're inclined to wonder quite often, do you mostly wonder because you're worried, or because you're curious, or even more, is it likely because you're genuinely purposeful? If you mostly wonder out of purposeful curiosity, given the magnitude of the social, economic, and environmental uncertainties we face today, at least as I see it, you're an “A Number 1” wonderer!
I invite you to think about your own life. Given the physical, emotional, intellectual and cultural challenges you face, what have you achieved or overcome?
What role have you played or failed to play within your own personal environment? What are some of the options you might consider playing in the time left to you to play anything at all?
From the very outset of this going-on-fifteen year writing project, it is about you the reader, rather than me the writer, that these writings have been all about! That's the way it should be. Together, the more we're aware of what encourages or motivates us, the more meaningful will be whatever we make out of our collective futures!
Ultimately, what, why, how, or if you wonder is strictly your business. All I can hope to do is stimulate your personal capacity to wonder.
After all, our capacity to wonder invariably energizes the whole wide world!
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
EDWIN COONEY
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