When I was little, my favorite TV game show was Concentration. I delighted in ferreting out the meaning of the whole from its parts. Now in every situation, in every conversation, my mind races ahead to find the patterns, discover the layers underlying the surface. I’ve been accused of jumping to conclusions. Guilty. But I’m always ready to change my assumptions when a new piece of information is revealed. I’ve been accused of twisting words around. Guilty. The best way to test assumptions is to state my interpretation of the board. If I’m wrong, then I step back and wait for another piece of the puzzle to be revealed and try again.
Is this impatience? Probably. Is it wrong? I always thought it integral to my sense of wonder of the world–my child self wanting to know everything. Is it annoying? To some people more than others.
I confess my incessant questions, my racing ahead in conversation, can overwhelm and dismay some people. It’s not my intention. I do try to restrain my enthusiasm, but I’m often unsuccessful.