“We Don’t Know, What We Don’t Know”

“I was talking to my friend Joe on the phone one night (also a poet) and he told me that he was invited to give a poetry reading at a university by another poet and that poet introduced Joe to the audience as an ‘impoverished poet.’ It got me thinking…”
Sandra Simonds – Poet (*)

Our friend, Art Woodard a mentor in our world of facilitation often uses the title of this blog post when describing the endless conundrum of being humble as we pass through our daily interactions. The implied imperative is to be mindful in and of our assumptions and judgments.

Modernity has given us the epitome of bittersweet, the opportunities to live lives and pursue dreams once unimaginable for the masses. This luxury comes at a price, however, in the form of a dizzying pace and ceaseless confluence of demands. As we weave our path amidst it all we are charged with a constant winnowing of choices – how we do that and this, what stays, what goes, what gets attention and what gets ignored. In this melee, as our attention and response is required, we do the best we can.

The fault lines become clear when we are quick with our assumptions and judgments. They can be hurtful to those close to us – both family and those passing by in a moment. The example given in the quote rang true for me. Trying to be funny or erudite, "I" just say whatever comes next. Wrapped in temerity it sounds good and we all get a chuckle…

…next…

…except for the one to whom I refer... or to those hearing my words that know what I don’t. So if I hear Art (who looms large in our world) and I actually hear him – I’m challenged to reflect on what I’m doing and how it moves into the world. When I do that, life slows down. I see more. I hear more. I wonder more. I question more. I listen more. I serve more.

In a world where the opportunities and urgency to “get more, do more, be more” seemingly never end – the simple reminder to remind myself that I don’t know, what I don’t know has given me more than all the world has to offer.

(*) From her comments about her poem “For Joe”, provided by Poets. Org and found at the following link https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem-day?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Poem-a-Day%2520%2520October%25203%25202016&utm_content=Poem-a-Day%2520%2520October%25203%25202016%20CID_1287876f2dd694a74b28a83fb0c1a347&utm_source=Email%2520marketing%2520software

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