I recently read a post by a fellow blogger Bill Birnbaum about being knowledgeable on the topic of music among other things. His post got me to thinking about how I seem to be less interested in maintaining or increasing my knowledge of the world around me lately. I am a person who never got out of the habit of asking “Why?” I do continue to do it even in my senior years but it seems that I am just not as driven to find the answers that I once was. Why is that? (ok, that is another “why” that I will be thinking about here )

• One reason for my not seeking constant knowledge lately probably has to do with the mood of the country right now.  Everything seems to be bordering between downright grim and paranoia.  The news is constantly about conflicts of one type or another. No one seems to be able to get along anymore. I was always vainly proud of the fact that I knew at least something about much of what goes on in the world. It is just too depressing to do that anymore.
• I spent several years studying things of theology. After devouring more than a hundred books on the topic I came to a startling conclusion. It’s all a crock!!   For you seniors out that this was very similar to what happened on the original Bob Newhart show where after years of being a psychologist he came to the conclusion that “Psychology is a crock” . I had the same type epiphany as Dr. Hartley. It became very discouraging to see how one supposedly well respected theologian would say one thing and another would say the opposite. I now believe that each of us have to come to our own conclusions about our relationship with our God. Never rely on someone else to do the work for you. So, now my head is now stuffed with all this theological drivel. Maybe it is just too full for other things. :)
• Another reason I don’t do the required work to find out “why” is to say it bluntly  because I just don’t see the point in it anymore. I now fully realize my own mortality. I know that when I leave this earth everything in my brain will go with me. So, what’s the point, or as Solomon said “This too is meaningless!
• I know that continuing to read and study things in our senior years keeps our minds mentally acute.  While I continue to do “some” of the work required by my “why’s” I let more of them go by unanswered. Maybe I am just lazy?
• Finally and maybe the real reason why I don’t investigate things as I used to is because I normally did most of my reading in bed. I would spend several hours at a time reading and then have to force myself to close the book and get some sleep.  Now it seems I can’t turn a page without dropping off :)