Isn’t it amazing how often in our rich and interesting world, we can be surprised?
I once was driving a loaner car when my car was being fixed and I pushed a button and the side mirrors automatically folded close to the doors. I had never seen that button or function before, but I needed the mirrors so it was a combination of surprise and joy. I push a button and a new thing happens.
I can be sometimes like a kid when I push a button. I think that is why I liked electronics so much as a kid. It was interesting to see what happens when I push different buttons. When I got a computer, there were lots of buttons I could press and interesting things would happen. One time as a child I curiously used the fdisk command on the computer and a friend of the family had to help us reinstall it. I learned from that experience.
I needed to verify the world around me. I had a parent tell me the stove was hot but I had to test it with my hand. I burned my hand of course, but I learned an important lesson on heat. I always had to test the limits of what others told me. I never believed everything I was told. This was helpful and it was also painful at times, for me to learn lessons that other people took on faith.
So I continue to test what is true and what isn’t. I am a resolute scientist and I have to find facts and evidence for whatever I seek to believe. Of course, some things like loving the evidence are more subjective, but love seems very clear to exist as well. I don’t dismiss things because I can’t measure them, different things have different kinds of evidence.
In Star Trek, Q says to Tuvok “You surprise me. Which is a rare and wonderful gift to a Q.” I think it’s a rare and wonderful gift that life can surprise us and fill us with joy.