What's This Blog About?

"There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person."
-G.K. Chesterton

I once pulled over on the side of a highway to watch a cow give birth. I don't have a vested interest in cows, I've never been part of the FFA or taken pre-veterinarian classes, but it looked like the cow was just minutes from delivering the baby and I was curious and excited to see what the calf would look like and how it would take its first step.

My friend in the passenger seat was not so thrilled.

"I've seen tons of cows give birth," She said, rolling her eyes. "This is stupid. Can we please get back on the road?"

For some reason, she was embarrassed that I found it interesting, and embarrassed that everyone driving by on the highway thought we were interested - thought that this would be a new experience for us. It's the same kind of embarrassment that keeps me from taking pictures of my hometown. I don't want to look like a tourist: as though I've never seen these things before.

"Passion is the genesis of genius."
-Galileo

One-on-one, most people are willing to admit that they don't know everything, but many of us still cater to a large and imaginary audience that laughs at our naivety when we press the fireman's hat-shaped-button on the elevator to see what it will do or when we stare slack-jawed at a sunset.

And you know what? It's just silly to let go of that wonder and curiosity and delight.

It's that same wonder and curiosity and delight in the world that children have. It's a lack of it that makes us old.

It was that curiosity which drove Galileo to watch the stars and question contemporary views of the universe.

It's the passion that caused George Washington Carver to unlock the chemical secrets of plants.

 "I wanted to know the name of every stone and flower and insect and bird and beast. I wanted to know where it got its color, where it got its life - but there was no one to tell me." 
-Carver

The world is so big and fascinating and we know very little of it individually, or even collectively. So what is this blog about? Discovering the world. I want to present you with the interesting things that I find, and I would love to see the interesting things that you find. Things such as lizards with chemical factories up their noses, and trees whose bark can purify water, ancient cities gone missing in the jungle or found in the desert as well as the people who discover these things.

Because isn't it all amazing?