CURIOSITY

Another important, interesting, and potential messy quality. It is something we are born with, to varying degrees. I have certainly witnessed it in my children, using the Under The Kitchen Sink Test. All kids rather early on become fascinated with the Stuff under the sink, which are usually many kinds of colorful and poisonous cleaning items, trash bags which could suffocate you should you put them over your head, and possibly even a disgusting roach trap, should you be so lucky to enjoy that little problem. My first two kids, both boys but each with very different natures, learned well when they first ventured over to check out the Sink Underland. My screech of "NO-NO! CHEMICALS!!!!!!" was noted seriously by both boys, who froze in horror at my tone, if not understanding wtf chemicals were. It gave me enough time to get over there and give an authority-laden speech about how we NEVER go there, because it is full of SICK and DIE and BAD. Their toddler eyes grew wide in fright, and neither boy ever messed with the Underland again. I didn't even have to baby-proof it-- CHEMICALS! was enough.

It tells you something about the innate levels of curiosity in people, this test. When my daughter was about the same age, I delivered my now-perfected rant, and she simply waited until I was out of sight to take each and every item out from the evil Sink World, opened or attempted to open them all, and laughed when I came back all AAAAHHH!!! CHEMICALS!!! WHAAATT? How dare she! I immediately went out the next day to find a door lock, installed it, which she promptly and handily dismantled to get at the dish soap to make "soup." Oh, crap. Being that she was my third child, I knew that I was in for it. Basic natures never really change. They are who they are, and she was going to curiosity me right into an early grave. Of course, I realize I am the one who sewed my own fingernail with the Singer. Karma.

She is not quite six now, and the Sink Test proved accurate. Last summer, on a regular Saturday, she was bugging her teenage brother, whose innate nature seems to be Bright 'N Surly, and decided that it would be a good thing to stick a wire drum brush into an electrical outlet. She howled in pain and fear when she not only got fried but jolted. B 'N S was not paying attention to what had happened at all, so as she ran up the stairs and we ran to her, all we saw were four little burnt fingers and a smoke smell. She was too freaked out and afraid to say what happened, so we fanned everyone out all over the house to look for a fire, while I called the doctor. Eventually, I got the story out of her and when I asked WHY WHY WHY would you do that, you KNOW not to mess with outlets, what did she say?

"I was -- sob -- curious."

Her fingers healed very quickly. We all know to keep an eye on her.

Ultimately, curiosity is a great gift, if harnessed to create openings and opportunities and questions, NOT DEATH. I see a lot of this smashed out of people early on, and it makes me sad. Being curious keeps you in touch with the world, keeps you in a fresh mental state. You should always be curious about something, but hopefully something more substantial than what the Jolie-Pitt twins look like. I can tell you that: THEY'LL BE CUTE, STUPID. Find something you want to know more about and maybe never took the time to figure.

I probably just should've stored all the chemicals in an upper cabinet, huh. D'oh!