I didn’t
You know, when I graduated from Boonsboro High school in 1966, I thought I knew everything.
So, I enlisted in Uncle Sam’s Army because I wanted to travel and make some money while seeing parts of the world.
And I did.
I became a soldier, made my way to Vietnam and thought our country was fighting against Communism and was going to stop it in its ‘tracks’ over there.
We didn’t.
Over 58,000 Americans died in that conflict for nothing.
I began to learn then that I didn’t know everything.
Came home from the Army, got married and began a family; thought that would be ‘easy peasy’ but guess what? I had to learn to be a good husband and father.
Thought I would go to college and learn some stuff too; went for 7 ½ years acquiring the Master’s degree, and realized for certain ‘I didn’t know everything.’
But I made the honor roll.
In 1972, I thought I was a pretty good automobile driver; I knocked over a telephone pole on the way to work and darn near checked out of this life; spent six weeks in the hospital.
I didn’t do very well at driving that day, but I learned to be a better driver.
Took me a job at the local prison as a Correctional Officer to make a living; I knew I could be successful with my Dargan upbringing and military training. After a few riots, employee job actions and a career that was never boring on any given day, I became a Prison Warden.
I was making progress.
While in college, I enjoyed the study of philosophy, especially those ancient philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
And one day in one of those courses, I learned that in Greek history, a friend of Socrates (a famous philosopher) went to see the Oracle of Delphi, who was an all-knowing Priestess in the temple of Apollo and inquired ‘Is any man wiser than Socrates?’
The High Priestess replied ‘No’, there is none wiser than Socrates.
When Socrates was told that he was the ‘wisest of all’ he would simply proclaim that ‘I know that I know nothing’ and confessed to his ignorance.
Seems that the ‘wisest’ man of all was expressing his simplicity in questioning and examining those issues in the world around him.
Humility seems then an important aspect if one seeks wisdom.
From that point on in my life, I would apply that very same thought, and consider that the only thing I knew, too, was ‘I knew nothing.’
The real lesson then of those ancient philosophers is that they would discuss, study and question everything as it was observed.
I thought that this a ‘splendid’ way of observing and learning while walking down this path of life.
There is so much to learn in this ‘journey’ and ‘thinking one knows everything’ is actually the pillar of ignorance.
There are far too many humans who never strive to ‘examine the unexamined life,’ as Socrates suggested. Some folks are content with having an opinion with no true ‘explanation’ or ‘reasoning’ as to why.
When I studied the war in Vietnam years later, I knew the politicians did not have a good understanding of that conflict and their decision making.
Many people today display that same notion of ‘knowing everything’ but exhibit pure ‘ignorance’ in making many of the decisions they make.
Our country has made similar mistakes in those wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while learning some very difficult lessons and expending American blood and countless dollars.
Today, our country finds itself involved in yet another conflict to thwart off an enemy with the desire to develop an atomic bomb to potentially begin the battle of Armageddon with America and the world.
What action should America be taking?
Let’s think about it.
