WONDERING

 Last Tuesday, I wrote under this same title, Wondering, about the statistic that says if you are over 65 and suffer a fall, chances are that you will die in the next year.  Before the week was out, Nancy Pelosi suffered a fall in Europe.  She is well over 65.  I wonder if her life insurance is paid up.  Just wondering.

I read an article by some scientists who are working with apes.  The jungle animals - real apes, not King Kong - but yes, big monkeys.  Anyway, they are teaching them to communicate with people - real people using sign language.  Well, I shouldn't have said 'communicate' because that's the point of my message here.  They have taught a bunch of apes to understand sign language and to respond with sign language.  It's kinda creepy but it is what it is.  So we ask them a question and they answer with sign language.  Get the picture.  They're getting really good at it.  But, no matter how hard the handlers try, they cannot get the apes to ask a question.  They have gotten good at answering, they can carry on a conversation but they never ask a question.  The scientists now believe the apes will never learn to ask a question. They are not inquisitive.  I'm wondering if there are people like that.  Our children learn to ask questions at an early age.  "Why mommy?"  Learning comes from asking questions.  Do you ask questions?  Did you ask questions in school?  Except for some wise guys, the smart kids were the ones asking questions.  To learn is animal - to ask is only human.  To learn the most, be inquisitive.  Never be embarrassed to ask a question; the apes don't but smart people do.  I'm wondering if some people will start asking me what I'm doing here.