Dear Mind, could you stay here for a while?

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      I often slip into thinking that our son Ansu serves as a kind of metaphor for my own mind. Before I tell you how, let me say a few words about something that has puzzled me for a really long time. I haven’t really solved the puzzle yet. Here it is: I just don’t know if I should thank God or ask him to pity me for giving me a mind with unbridled curiosity. I guess this is a more dangerous, and at the same time more desirable, time for a curious mind than any other period in human history. It may thrive if it can dwell in one place and on one thing at a time, but perish (or just survive) if it keeps pursuing everything that irresistibly tempts it to wander. There is a constant array of fascinating things that jumpstarts the mind, making it hurtle along like a hound in hot pursuit of an unexpected prey.

  Curiosity, as a matter of fact, does favor those who can keep it focused until something concrete or useful can be brought about from it. But what if that doesn’t seem to be happening? Ironically, everyone with a curious mind will have discovered that curiosity, if not kept in check, can harm their chances of success or getting where they wanted to be at the time they wanted it to happen. They will also have discovered that everything they read, hear or listen to eventually becomes part and parcel of their existence, at least hidden somewhere in their uncons- cious or subconscious, and therefore serving a purpose. All this only serves to add to my confusion.     When I am free, I even go binge shopping online and order every title that sets my curiosity on fire. I inevitably end up not finishing reading at least half of them, but it gives a great sense of achievement to be the proud owner of those obscure objects of my curiosity. To worsen my predicament, I haven’t as yet found an “agony uncle” to ask if mine is a disease or something similar that I need to be concerned about.
     Back to the metaphor of Ansu for my own mind. I see the same insatiable curiosity in my son, who most likely inherited this propensity from his father. He can never rest his mind on anything for more than a short while. Nor will he be happy about any presents beyond a certain (usually very short) time. And he cannot be kept at home for a single day even. He wants to go out trying as yet untried things. If we let him have his way, he will surely find something to trouble us with. Keeping him engaged is a huge and tiring challenge for his mom. He has a lot of questions to which we don’t have ready answers. This may in fact be true of many kids but still, I call my own mind “Ansu senior”.     

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