Why Is "Why" Such A Useful, Nagging, Annoying Question?

Remember when your child started asking you “why?” Remember thinking he or she was never going to stop? Sam can’t talk, of course – not people talk anyway – but he often questions why I want him to do something until I become totally exasperated. He asks why with his eyes or with his body language or if he is really wanting to know why, with his bark. When he barks at me, if I don’t answer right away (or correctly), he really goes into a paroxysm of barking.

Annoying as the word is though, “why” actually is quite useful. Like, why do fools fall in love? Ah, but that’s a question better left for Valentine’s Day next month, which by the way, falls very close to a Friday the thirteenth. But this blog is not about love, it’s about the question “why?”

Why do we think about some things so much?

But first, here’s a joke about love and “why” gleaned from the Best Joke Book Ever:

“HIS AND HER DIARY FOR THE SAME DAY:”

“HER: Tonight, I think my husband fell out of love with me. We had made plans to have dinner at a nice restaurant. He hardly greeted me, although I was quite a bit late; and he only picked at his food. I asked him what was wrong and he said, “Nothing,” but I know that isn’t true. On the way home I told him that I love him and he just smiled a little and kept driving. Why didn’t he say, “I love you too?” I’m so upset. When we got home he stayed distant, not speaking, just watching TV. Finally, with silence all around us, I went to bed and began to cry. When he came up five minutes later, he didn’t even notice, just changed and climbed into bed, turning his back. I just know he has fallen for someone else! My life is a disaster!”

“HIM: Boat wouldn’t start today, can’t figure out why.”

There sure are a lot of whys in this world. Like, “Why’d the chicken cross the road?” How about, “Why’d the golfer wear two pair of pants? (Answer: in case he got a hole in one.)” Some people want to know humdrum “whys” like why do we have to die and why do we have to pay taxes?

Why can a man never starve in the Mojave Desert? Because he can eat the sand which is there. But what brought the sandwiches there? Why Noah sent Ham, and his descendants mustered and bred

Dumb right? The bigger question is why do I write this blog? Because the computer’s here? Because my ego demands it? Because I grew up in a family of seven kids and never had the opportunity to spout off much? Because I’m lonesome? Because, all the above? Do you realize I’ve written more than 500 blogs in the four years I’ve been doing this? That’s a whole lot of B.S. right?

The even bigger question today though is, “Why do YOU read this blog?

Answer: I don’t care, just keep on reading. I might say something really profound one day and you wouldn’t want to miss it.