Curiosity – A Great Character Trait

I attended a Rural Hospital forum a couple weeks ago. I wanted to know more about the effects of budget cuts to Medicaid and how it might be affecting our community so I could be more accurate as to how some of those effects could be mitigated. The meeting started off with an intro to Mike Bell, a retired CPA specializing in rural hospitals. Comments initially were quite focused on the topic but then the topic wandered off to the recent federal tax cuts on social security and then to illegal immigration. It was then I realized this was more of a political advertisement than the education about the rural hospital system and potential impacts from federal funding cutbacks. I thought it was unfortunate to find out Mike had run for State Representative in 2018 and no mention of this on his intro. I guess I wouldn’t have known to even check if it weren’t for the clear political tone Mike used in his speech. Then I got to thinking. In my opinion it wasn’t as much the mis representation of the motives of the organization that hosted the event but it was the conclusion that the hosts were so concerned some folks wouldn’t attend if they knew it was politically oriented. I’m curious by nature. Maybe it’s been the extensive travel and living abroad in addition to my parents drilling into me “it’s not stupid, it’s different” while living abroad. Shouldn’t we be curious enough to listen to whomever knowing our perspective doesn’t have to change. Maybe it would a little or a lot but in either case we’re in control of that so where’s the fear coming from by listening regardless of someone’s affiliations or differences? Where ever you consume your news from it’s likely biased in some way. Wouldn’t it stand to reason our interaction (listening/questioning/affirming) with folks to be the best form of learning, understanding and empathizing? I suspect we’d get along better too. Be curious my friends."