The Curious Case Of Geetashree Chatterjee

Did curiosity really kill the cat????

In my case it helped me prod along.

I am curious about everything under the sun whether I understand the subject or not. Like I love to browse the NASA site though I don’t have an iota of idea what they are talking about. At one point of time I was dead certain that someday aliens would land in my verandah and say “Hello” to me but that never happened.

One lacuna of curiosity is the habit of probing. Nay!It’s not snooping. I ask questions to know so much so that it’s become a standing joke in the family. Last to last year I really went deep into the subject of my car insurance. I always thought men knew most. But when I started querying my brother-in-law he told me he never delved so deep. Imagine!!

So I took it upon me-self to do the honours. I was promptly told to share the information with the rest of the family. The only condition applied was the mental faculties of the Insurance Agent should remain intact post interrogation. 🤦🤦

I guess I have a habit of intimidating people. Even my erstwhile boss told me to go slow on my inquiries. The general opinion being I may drive the person on the other end up the wall. “He should remain functional”, That’s what my sister reminds me before I embark on my quest.

But my curiosity has stood me in good stead as it has enhanced my knowledge.

But sometimes it has led me to encroach in areas which are absolutely male dominated. I don’t think they have taken kindly to it but they have been magnanimous enough to enrich me with their trade insights. For example, in India you will seldom find a woman take her car for repairs to the mechanic or the Company Service Station. Either the husband or brother or father or even driver does that. I was an exception as I not only accompanied my driver but asked the mechanics a number of questions to understand how the car functioned.

One advantage of curiosity is noone can befool you thinking you are naive or less knowledgeable.

Many a times when I journeyed by cab I would caution the driver about what all was wrong with his vehicle. And lo! He agreed and told me he would take care.

I am no engineer or astro physicist but knowing the basics always helps. Same with doctors. They talk to me openly about my mother’s medical state. Somehow they feel I will understand. Sometimes I tell them various techniques of handling patients. I did it with the nursing staff last time mother got hospitalized. They were fresh recruits, quite inexperienced and wary of me. I guess they heaved a sigh of relief when mother got discharged.

Knowing too much can also be bothersome because your level of expectations from others is high which they may not be able to fulfill.

In short, curiosity facilitates as well as put you in a place where people may take you as tiresome and tough to deal with.

But I guess it is better to be the one with a broader spectrum of comprehension than closing your mind’s doors and windows and let the breeze of knowledge blow in.

On the lighter side, a crow visits my Champaka tree at a fixed time. He (it could be a she as well) caws away to glory. My hunch is, given its nature, he has too many questions or too many info to give. Thank God! We do not understand each other’s language. Otherwise it would have led to a fist fight – me probing more to his detriment or he querying more to my supreme irritation.

Sometimes, not knowing also helps you to squeeze out of situations, responsibilities and works. I have seen people apply that formula in Office and family . But I being the bull fighter showing the red cloth is my norm. 😜😜