I Know Not-ting

Some of you may know what that title is from. If you do, then great, your old like me. If you don’t, well it’s from an old television series where a German Sargent at a POW camp is asked if he knows any information or if he’s seen anything and his pat answer is, “I know not-ting”. Which could imply he knows not a thing but if you have watched this particular show his true meaning is that he chooses to turn a blind eye. Now he does this for a variety of reasons, some of which is because he really is a good guy, but some of it is also because he doesn’t want to get involved. I personally have used this phrase many times in my life, mostly in a comical way but usually with the same context of acting that I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I don’t want to get involved. I find many people actually live this way albeit they never say the words, “I know not-ting”.

I have found people, me included, don’t like to get involved with conflict. They don’t like being or existing in a harsh, dimmed or darkened light. Everybody wants to parade around in the good light as if everything is just A-OK. Well, I’m sorry, that’s just not the way the real world exists. Believe me, I grew up reading fantasy books, I love the land of make believe but unfortunately that’s just not the way it is. I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer here I’m just trying to convey that if you live your life like it’s all hunky dory, then when you face real adversity, then you’re not going to know how to deal with it and get through it. Now there are a plethora of ways to do so both on a positive and negative note. How one chooses to do so is dependent on so many variables that books and books have been written on the multitude of ways to deal with life. I’m just picking on one way and that is to say, ” I know not-ting”.

As I’ve gotten older my mindset has changed considerably. I may have some of the same out in left field ideas and concepts that I had as a child but now I have years of wisdom to help give me a better comprehension. I don’t pretend to be all wise and knowing and I don’t think I’m right all the time. I don’t have all the answers but I sure as hell question almost everything. I no longer settle for I know not a thing, not-ting….. I yearn to know; I yearn to understand and grasp. But I will confess that I have a hard time in my own soul with ignorance. Ignorance within myself from my own shortcomings and ignorance in others who chose to live life in that fashion. I think understanding and owning humility goes a long way in people honestly saying they know nothing and choosing to know nothing. I choose to look at the situation instead of ignoring it. I choose to act forward versus turning my back.

So, what is it that you know? Are you willing to share? Are you willing to learn? Are you willing to think? Are you willing to act for the betterment of yourself, others and the universe or will you continue to look away and say, “I know noooo-ting”. Life goes on and then it ends. What purpose do you have in the journey?