How long would a conversation last if it did not have questions? One min, two minutes or at the most for five minutes ‘coz anything, to my belief, that goes beyond that range would be either a monologue or a thing that falls far off the periphery of a discussion.
I, not long ago, tried doing this with my friend but ended up just looking at her face. I felt as if I had lost my power of speech. As if someone had tied up both my legs with a rope and then had asked me to walk comfortably. The dearth of questions left me feel the same way as any bound prisoner would feel. Everyday brings me to the realization that our actions are very much governed by these questions. Indirectly, though. Questions compel us to take decisions in our lives which further define our actions. Though at times we do get bugged off with so many Ws’ and an H (why, what, when and how) in our lives, imagine how boring and intricate would our lives be in their absence?
What would have happened if Newton ate the apple without questioning himself the reason of its fall?
Or if Archimedes did not ponder over the question (while bathing) as to why a small nail settles down to the bottom of water while a big jug doesn’t?
Ok. Let us not talk about these extra-ordinary people who spent years of their lives mulling over these issues and finally resulted in generating these widely acknowledged facts. Not everyone is gifted with a cerebrum like theirs and not everyone has the patience to work like them either.
Let us take the case of an average bloke. Right from the day he makes his first cry till the day he makes his last try (to remain alive) he tries facing and answering a plethora of questions. The day he comes out of his mother’s womb the father assures from the doctor, “Is he a healthy child?” Few months after his birth, relatives begin to ask, “What would you name him?” His sojourn as a student in a school would make him answer questions like “Why didn’t you bring your notebook? What do you mean you did not pack your bag last night?” Probably at the age of 16 (should I say sweet) he would find himself saying “Yeah I’ll take PCM with computers.” And God forbids if he happens to show his penchant towards subjects like commerce or humanities then he is in no better situation. As he graduates to college, his love hormones take a front seat and become quite rampant. It is at this stage he manifests his potential of facing the largest number of questions (mind you the number could be infinite too). The most favourite and of course reiterative of them would be “Why aren’t you listening to me?” Life becomes almost the same after this phase. A wife and a rude boss take over the position of a girlfriend and a stern teacher respectively. And many many many years later, he finally on his death bed answers the same person about his well being who replied on his behalf the very first day of his life, Doctor.
(Sigh)… I wish I could continue a li’l further, detailing more about the different kinds of question we face, but I guess my mother is asking me as to when am I going to help her do the dishes?
