There’s an old song that starts, Tell me why the sky is blue…then goes on to say, Then I will tell you just why I love you.
That little word, why. It’s important. One of the first things children ask is Why does this happen? Why can’t we go somewhere? Why do they act as they do? It’s a question we should never stop asking, never stifling the natural curiosity that arises when we don’t understand and want to know more. With news stories, I ask why she or he said what they said, why they acted as they acted, why people respond one way and not another, why do we settle for superficial answers when the real answers are deeper and hidden?
Why is the core of any mystery story. Think back to Moonlight Can Be Murder. Why did Uncle Javin die? Well, to somebody, he had to go. And, why did Ned almost become a victim? She was dangerous to someone, but who and why?
Why do you prefer one book to another? What is in the book that speaks to you, what is in the other that just turns you off? I could never finish reading Grapes of Wrath. It was a school assignment, many, many years ago and I tried to read it, but it just went against the grain. I still remember that book with a shudder, yet it is certainly considered a classic. My question is, why?
On the other hand, I’ve read Gone with the Wind three times. Those characters resonate with me. I sympathize; I empathize. I’m right there as Atlanta burns and Scarlett tries to get home to Tara.
And, the Mary Roberts Rinehart books–I’ve read them more than once and I’ve read The Red Lamp at least three times and will probably read it again. I like Miss Rinehart’s style. I like being able to see things through her eyes.
The same goes for people. Some people you just instantly like and trust. Some, let’s face it, you don’t. You might not even know the reason, but it’s there–somewhere, lurking in your subconscious, perhaps. Or, maybe you can give a reason, but on closer examination, there’s a deeper, hidden reason that answers the question of why.
You, as I, have likes and dislikes, in books, in people, in the food you eat and the clothes you wear, in your daily activities. You have good reasons for each opinion. But, if I asked you why you look at life as you do, you might not be able to tell me the real reason. You might say something like, “I don’t know. I just do.” It’s interesting, though, to delve into that question and try to find the answer.
Now, why did I get started on this deep subject this morning, an autumn morning, the middle of the week, with the day and writing stretching before me. Why, indeed? It’s a deep question.
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