Wondering in Wonderland

I expect you've seen the picture and heard the story of this two year old who was so taken by the portrait of Michele Obama that she stood awestruck.  Her mom said that Parker has no idea that Barack Obama exists and is married to Michelle and was President of the United States.  No, Michelle is her only interest because she thinks Michelle is a queen.

What I love is the moment of pure wonder that is captured in the picture.  A moment when reality stops and the infinite possibilities of the future are wide open.  Somehow I think this moment will be a defining one for her, one she returns to in her memory for a lifetime, perhaps even a moment that shifts her self-understanding.

Wonder has that kind of power because it focuses not on what is or even what was, but rather on what could be.  The path forward now has multiple twists and turns; the goal is far distant.  Children are particularly good at wonder.  Since they don't have all the answers they rely on having all the questions!  Why don't neighbors walk each others' dogs when they go on vacation?  I wonder how sheep feel after all their wool is taken off.  I wonder what rabbits eat in the winter when our garden is dead.  I wonder...........

The strange things is there is no 'wrong' in wondering.  Sometimes there is silly.  Sometimes fantastical.  Sometimes humanly impossible.  But never wrong.  The idea behind wondering is to allow your mind and imagination to roam freely.  It is a process of discovery.  Set your mind free and see what is out there.  Start anywhere and ask a question you don't know the answer to.

What would it look like if our cars could only drive 5 miles?  How would our lives change?  What would it look like if all the employees decided each others' salaries together?  What if all of our drug stores had a nurse practitioner right on premises to triage medical woes and treat the minor ones? You can't really get good at wondering if you are afraid to be wrong.

In fact, fear can short circuit the process quickly.  Fear of something changing.  Fear of losing some undefined benefit.  Fear of having to learn new and possibly difficult things.  Fear of walking with others into the unknown. Of course, just asking questions is not the same as taking action.  But if you are afraid of the actions that might arise, you won't ask the questions in the first place.

But if you are willing to give it a try, 'Oh the places you'll go" (to quote Dr. Seuss, who took us everywhere with whimsical wondering.)

I wonder what we might discover if we read the Bible with a wondering imagination.  I wonder if Jesus was a woman, how would she have taught?  I wonder if God had a specific number of trees in mind when God started creating?  I wonder what God was thinking when she created the anteater!

Are you game?  Will you wonder with me?





I too saw the portrait and it is captivating but I am so grounded in reality that I have dismissed the possibility that I may someday elicit a similar response from anyone.  However, I was proud of that moment in American history and those who take time to visit the entire Presidential Portrait Gallery will soon be faced with the inescapable reality that Barack Obama was the first person of color to serve us in that office.