Asking questions

On a walk today, a young neighbor approached me. She was nervous, and I could tell that there was something heavy on her mind. We had never talked about Errol before, she had learned about his condition, and wanted to know more about him. It’s a hard conversation to start, and there really isn’t a tactful way to begin. The only thing to do is to just ask - which is what she did (with kindness and sympathy). I told her Errol’s whole story: the heart, the brain. It sounded a little like Dorothy’s friends in The Wizard of Oz (except that Errol has no shortage of courage). I don’t always ask the right questions, or know quite what to say, but as far as I’m concerned, it's nice to be asked, and I am always grateful to connect, illuminate, brag. Dialogue leads to understanding. Silence separates. Errol rocks!

Still, a word of caution about questions. My sister in law was 8 months pregnant, and quite obviously with child. People would come up to her in the grocery store and ask her when she was due, and with a straight face, she would say. "What do you mean? Due?" They would run. RUN! I would. On the other hand, one time, someone I know asked a woman who looked about seven moths pregnant when she was due. "Five years ago!" Spat the angry woman. One does have to be careful with questions, but still, don't hesitate to ask about Errol. I'll give you a good answer.