In February, I joined the fabulous women from Is This Mutton, MK’s Adventures in Style, Deb’s World, Grownup Glamour, Frugal Fashion Shopper, and Following My Muse for a global writing challenge. Last month, Suzy from The Grey Brunette, Sue from Living Well after 50, Leslie from Once Upon a Time, Happily Ever After and I joined in on the fun permanently! Michelle chose this month’s prompt, and it’s been one I’ve had to let sit and percolate! I hope you’ll visit all of these blogs because you are going to be amazed at, not only the diversity of the ideas, but the photos are fabulous! There’s also a link party!
So, curiosity…
I honestly don’t know what my first word was though it’s probably in my baby book. But, if I had to guess, I’d think it was, “Why?” All my life, I’ve wondered why? Not the usual whys though…you know the ones. Why is the sky blue? Why don’t we fall up? Why did the chicken cross the road? My whys were always the ones my parents couldn’t or wouldn’t answer.
Let’s start with this…
Why isn’t curiosity spelled curiousity? That has mystified me for about fifteen years now. When I was teaching, we had to teach Lifeskills which were 19 desirable attributes or personality traits. Curiosity was one of them. We had to make signs for our walls, and I kept getting the little red squiggly line under curiousity. I finally googled it and discovered there is no second u! Why? If the root word is curious, then shouldn’t the noun be curiousity? Like I said, I have questions!
As a child…
I’ll be honest here. I was probably a child with undiagnosed ADHD. I remember going with my mom to her friend’s house almost daily. Mom would escape visit her after dinner for a nice cuppa. I would tag along frequently. One of my earliest memories is of clearing Betty’s cabinets of all the pots and pans…I mean totally emptying them. It couldn’t have been quiet, but they didn’t stop me. My guess is this was a rather regular occurrence, and they had long ago given up on trying to keep me from it! Why was I doing this? I have no idea other than I was exploring.
Curiosity and ADHD…
Now, what does clearing Betty’s cabinets have to do with curiosity? I think quite a bit. In fact, I found a few articles about the connection. These were backed up by scientific studies, and the findings are quite interesting. You can read more here, here, and here. In a nutshell, people with ADHD seem to be more curious than their peers without ADHD. I love that the Minnesota Neuropsychology site refers to the many facets of ADHD as superpowers! And, listen to this: “The ADHD brain is hungry for novelty and dynamic activity. It sees and tolerates/appreciates new ideas, new movements, new visualizations, new concepts. Individuals with ADHD often perceive (intuitively) connections or ‘flows’ that are not appreciated by others. They often enjoy taking a ‘bird’s eye view’ of things, and asking the ‘what-if’ questions (source).” What is a what-if question if not a why question?
My take…
I have dealt with ADHD both at home and at school. For the first half of my educational career, I worked with students with special needs. The remainder of my career was in general education where I also worked with students with ADHD, both diagnosed and undiagnosed. It took a number of years for me to finally realize I have ADHD. My coworkers certainly recognized it long before I did! The H, I believe, has been socialized out of me…well, that and my own general laziness! So, I think I have quite the handle on ADHD. But, I digress!
Curiosity…
I am sometimes almost paralyzed with wonder as I ponder the world around me. Why do we like things planted in odd numbers? Why is grass green (I know it has to do with chlorophyll, but couldn’t that color have been purple instead)? Why does broccoli have only 31 calories and cheesecake has upwards of 700? Why isn’t it the other way round? Why does one color appeal to me and not to Nigel? Why did someone even think to put a toasted marshmallow between two graham crackers and top them with a hunk of chocolate? Why did car makers decide four wheels were better than three or even five? Why does my computer lose its connectivity just as I’m getting ready to push “Publish?” Why…well, you get the gist!
Why did I…
Just in case you’re wondering why I posted these photos with this post, these are all UFOs…Unfinished Objects! Some of them need only a little bit of time to finish them. Others need me to sit down and figure out what the heck happened. I hope I finish at least one of these sweaters before this winter!
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I don’t really know that I wrote a single thing of substance here! I think my ADHD took me off on a tangent, and I never quite recovered! Or, maybe I did? Why don’t I know? So, can we talk? Are you curious about the missing u from curiosity? Do you consider yourself a curious person? Do people with ADHD make the world a tinier bit more interesting? Please leave a comment or two, and we can talk! I promise to respond as quickly as possible.
Thank you!
I am so appreciative of each of you. I thank you for your comments, emails, and subscribing. If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, My Bijou LIfe, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, and Style Splash. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend with Michelle every Thursday. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
What others are saying…
Suzy reflects on how her curiosity has led her to explore diverse subjects, enroll in numerous online courses, read a variety of books, interview fascinating individuals, and seek new experiences in beautiful places. Gail is so curious she created a blog 17 years ago called “A Curious Girl’s Guide to Life.” Her interest in miscellany makes her a good addition to a pub quiz team. Sue ponders what life would be like without curiosity and takes a look at the Five Dimensions of Curiosity. Michelle tells us curiosity is defined as the desire to know or learn. But that seemingly simple desire is exactly what moves civilization forward. Leslie is joining the link up and sharing a list of quirky things about her that make her rather a curiosity. Debbie loves the word curiosity and has written about the way her grandchildren show their curiosity through the many questions they ask. Being curious is something we shouldn’t let go as we age. Penny found this month’s theme quite the challenge and ended up with a mish-mash of a little bit of this and that, and ends with a sharp veer back to last month’s challenge of gardens when she becomes very curious about other people’s gardens!
And, now, it’s your turn!
We invite you to join the link party with your thoughts on curiosity!
Link-up code (entirely optional!):
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This seems to have been the best prompt so far for getting very different interpretations from everyone! Had no idea about your ADHD, and its links to curiosity. I love how this challenge is helping us know more about each other at a deeper level.
Thanks, Gail! I was just writing along and thought I’d google it to see if there was any connection. I was surprised and yet not. I think I have done a good job of working around my ADHD for the most part. I’m very task oriented so that helps. My coworkers would just look at me at times and laugh!
I am really enjoying these challenges. They truly do introduce us to each other so well!
This was great to read Marsha and I agree with Gail, curiosity seems to have opened up a huge range of interpretations. Love all you examples and the link to ADHD which I didn’t know.
Thanks, Debbie! To be honest (and you could probably tell), I wasn’t quite sure how to get from my summary to a story! And, my ADHD just took over! I’m not 100% sure I even answered the prompt! But, it was fun to write. I’ve fallen behind on my blog reading so I haven’t read anyone else’s yet. I’m hoping to get that done tonight!
Having taught spelling for so many years there are lots and lots of words that I want to know why we spell one way and not another as so many of our spelling rules have more exceptions than rule followers! I often think of who the first person was that tried or made several of our foods too– like the first person that ever made cake; what were they thinking mixing all those ingredients together and did they know it was going to taste that good?!
Oh, I hated teaching spelling! My feeling always was and has been either you’re a good speller or you’re not. And, like you say, just about the time you teach a rule, there’s a word (and a kid who comes up with it) that breaks that rule!
I think about cakes all the time (in that way), too! I mean, really and truly, who would have thought to put those things together…and, let’s not even get started on breads!
Thanks, Joanne!
This was so fun to read!! My husband was diagnosed with ADHD in 4th grade and he sounds so much like you – he has so many unfinished projects, questions, wanderings. We are both very curious cats, although I am not ADD/ADHD. I honestly think one reason I blog and visit other blogs is because I am super curious about other people, their lives, what interests them, what do they like to do… you get the idea. It’s also why I love garage sales – wait, am I just nosy? LOL. I am always going down different rabbit holes and have thousands of questions as well. I just asked Billy the other day if identical twins stay identical as they age, or if there is a finite limit on the amount of time they are identical twins. And if they do age differently, do they still say they are identical?
This was fun! I loved reading all about your curiosity! And yes, I wonder about that missing “u” because I always type it, then have to fix my error. It’s like it should be there but isn’t.
Hahaha!!! I think you may be a tad bit nosy, but so am I! I’m always checking out the Realtor.com listings just to see inside people’s houses! Oh, my goodness! I led a mini retreat last year about going down rabbit holes! I do that all the time. We can be watching a movie or tv show, and I’ll say, “Who is that?” Off to google, I go! Now, you’ve got me wondering about identical twins. I think they would still be identical because it’s a genetic thing, right?
I am honestly one of those people who walks into a room with the intent to do one thing, and then I see something else, so I mess around with that for a bit, then see another thing, and so on and so forth! Billy and I would be chums, I’m sure! Maybe we could answer each other’s questions…probably not, we’d just ping pong back and forth with new ones!
Thanks, Erin, for making me think and chuckle!
I loved this post and how interesting that you might have this ADHD. Mind you, questioning everything is important and we should all do this. I see my young grandson, Oscar who is into everything and never stops moving as maybe having this, but you know what i) his parents are just brilliant in the way they just let him explore everything – consequently he is delightful. And ii) it’s a very good character trait.
What a brilliant theme this was!
Thanks so much, Penny! Your comment about your grandson made me smile. I remember, with my oldest, having an older lady come over to do some typing for her. She was very prim and proper and sat at the kitchen table as I typed up whatever it was she wanted. But, after watching me for a bit, she exclaimed, “Is he always like that?” I hadn’t even noticed. J was climbing up on the table, doing something (can’t remember what), and I would pick him up and put him on the floor, all without really breaking stride. I did that over and over again. When she said that, it made me begin to wonder if that’s not how all kids were. Several other things led us finally when he was 9 or 10 to a diagnosis which changed so much for him as well as us!
I wasn’t sure what I was going to write and just let my brain take over!
Thanks, Penny!
So interesting! I had never considered the connection between ADHD and curiosity, but it certainly makes sense. My dad had ADHD. I never had trouble functioning in school, but as I’ve grown older, I sometimes wonder about me. I have 6 unfinished projects, and 2 more in my head, and I just started a new drawing course – with of course new projects. With my success in school, I can’t imagine that I had ADD, but… I remember being curious about nearly everything at that age. LOL! Actually, I’m still curious about nearly everything, but time and energy is limited.
Great post Marsha. I really enjoyed it.
Michelle
I was a straight A student and graduated at the top of my class as well as with highest distinction in college. One of the misunderstandings about ADD is that we can’t pay attention. We can pay attention if our interest is caught. Mine almost always was in school because I love to learn! Honestly, I was surprised at the connection between ADHD and curiosity, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. So, I googled it!
Thanks, Michelle!
That is going to be one sensational sweater when you get the pieces together. You just keep at it, you will get it.
Would not have pegged your for ADHD. I am surely ADD but I don’t think I have the hyperactivity component. I sure do struggle to pay attention. And maybe that is somehow a sign of curiosity. I am busy doing this and then next thing I know I am busy doing that.
Thanks, Leslie! I’m not sure which one you mean, though!!! I hope to finish all of them by the winter, but we will see. I don’t know…do you outgrow ADHD and become only ADD? If so, that’s what happened to me. Or, as I said in the blog, the H was socialized out of me! But, yes, I move from this to that and maybe even to those before switching back to one of the other two! Keeps life interesting, though!
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s take on curiosity! I have listened to a couple podcast with Penn from the Holderness family about ADHD and it is really interesting how differently the brain works! I remember a couple students specifically in my 3rd grade class and how their parents’ approach to it made a difference in behavior and ways to live with it.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Oh, I had parents who used that as an excuse for not behaving on the bus as well as not completing homework (that I could maybe understand). I would always tell them, “No judge is going to accept ADHD as an excuse for not filing your taxes on time.” Parents are so crucial to the success of a child with ADHD. Medication is another decision a family has to make, too. It’s a touch “disorder” to be sure.
Thanks, Mireille!
Oh, how fun, Marsha! We really are kindred spirits, I think. I, too, am a very curious person and have always been. I remember reading the encyclopedias just because when I was a kid. I wanted to know all the things! Little did I know how many things there are in the world to know. Haha. Now I rely on Google and Wikipedia for so much information. Like what does a rainbow look like from an aerial view? Why are there no C batteries? And why are most cars manufactured in really boring colors? I want to see a rainbow of brightly color vehicles driving around! During Jeff’s time in the Army, I used to drive him crazy with all of my Army WTF and WHY WHY WHY and But What If questions! I definitely think I also have undiagnosed ADHD but somehow we managed to get through this life, didn’t we?!
Shelbee
Wait…there aren’t C batteries? Aren’t they those short fat round ones? Maybe, they’ve been discontinued as no one uses them anymore. I remember the excitement of ordering a new car and getting to pick from all kinds of colors. I keep telling Mike I want a brand new Corvette. And, I want it to be in some really bright and wild color that says, “Here I am!”
I used to read the encyclopedia, too! I loved the little tidbits. I think that’s why I like the fashion challenges so much. I love finding out new information. I think my ADHD was something I learned to manage and compensate. Maybe that’s why we’re always looking for new things to learn…because our brains need that stimulation!