Have you ever wondered how many flags of the world have pictures of birds on them?
How about knowing the depth of the Grand Canyon at its deepest?
What is it about trivia that excites me? Maybe it’s that around every corner – every line – every page – is something refreshingly new. It’s not just that I enjoy learning new things, it’s that I enjoy being surprised by what lies ahead.
So, why don’t I read a novel or an exciting nonfiction book? Surely there are “surprises” ahead. Yes. But perhaps I crave the constant bombardment of new facts and strange occurrences?
Does it make me less of an intellectual that I prefer to read lines about facts that surprise me more than I prefer to read a novel?
Why am I chastising myself for enjoying reading about trivial facts? Am I feeling guilty? After all, most people I know enjoy reading novels or nonfiction works. What’s wrong with me, therefore? Why am I different?
Hey, but I AM different from most people. I hold doors open for people 20-30 feet away from the door. I talk to people I don’t know whenever I get the opportunity. I spend hours doing family research for people in my community. I buy presents for people even when it’s not their birthdays.
The Joy of Being…
And because I am different, I can enjoy reading something different – like short anecdotes and trivial facts.
Wait a minute, aren’t you different from other people? Shouldn’t you be different?
Maybe you should be. Maybe if you asked yourself “What do I really enjoy?” — without worrying what others will think — you just might find that you enjoy something that few others say they enjoy. You would be different.
Does that bother you — to think that you could be different from others?
I decided that it does NOT bother me to be different.
Now back to my trivia. Did you know that . . .?
Did you know that you could contact Mr. Ebsen at robertebsen@hotmail.com?
