Julie R. Neidlinger: Lone Prairie Blog

Dumb questions.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 3 comments link this post

There are dumb questions.

I already wrote my thesis on this.

But, as I will now reveal from my secret life on Facebook, even a benign profile photo can begin the discussion again, right there in the photo's discussion area.

(Begin sarcasm.)

Anna: It's a tiny picture but I do believe I see leaves on those trees. Was that taken today? And why are you holding your face like that?

Me: My chin was falling off. I took this photo inside the Kennedy Space Center. Any other dumb questions?

Anna: There is no such thing as a dumb question. However, there are certainly dumb answers as you've just now shown us.

Me: No, there are dumb questions. For example: If I put my hand in this raging fire, will it hurt? That's a dumb question.

Anna: Not if you have the disorder where you can't feel anything. It seems like that would be a legitimate question. Next...

Me: "Would it be OK if I drank this anti-freeze that says 'poison: will kill you' on the side of the container?"

Anna: Perhaps that wouldn't be considered dumb if the person was suicidal and was really asking you to help out with your caring and concern...oops.

Me: "Can I use this office stapler to staple my eye shut?"

Anna: Well, what if a person had a serious eye problem...maybe her eye kept popping out and she couldn't get to a doctor because of the dangling eye and no one was offering to drive her and the phones weren't working so she could call a cab even if she could concentrate on dialing a phone...it would make sense that stapling her eye shut would be a temporary solution and she was really asking you to do the stapling because her hands were a little shaky and it is sort of hard to staple your own eye shut. Ah hem.

Me: "Why are you still doing this?"

Anna: That certainly is not a dumb question as it is used to gain much useful information in many different circumstances.

Me: "No really. Why are you still doing this?"
"That wasn't hypothetical. It was a real question."
"Don't let these quotes confuse you."
"You know how I love to use quotes."

(End sarcasm.)

(Anna's a good sport.)