Have you ever had one of those experiences where you start a conversation with an individual and you expect them to know what you are talking about, but their face just goes blank? They have no idea about what you speak? I had one of those situations occur to me yesterday, and it set me to thinking…
 
To tell the story, I bumped into one of my friends on the distant outside of my friend’s circle. Really nice person, I always thought. We know each other via a few venues but most notable, at least in terms of this discussion, via our love for finding those unique treasures at thrift shops. I asked/she asked had we found anything special? Her, nada. Me, I explained that I, just the day before, found a signed, with inscription, copy of the book by Annie Lebovitz, Portraits: 2005 – 2016. Her face went blank.  “You know, that great photographer,” I exclaimed. “Oh, was she in the store,” she asked.
 
I was dumfounded. “No, she lives in New York! I found one of her books, signed!”
 
But, this really nice person had no idea who she was.
 
This struck me so strangely. I mean, Annie Lebovitz is pretty much a household name in the world of anyone who follows the arts. She has photographed so many people and so many situations. And, many of those photographs have become quite iconic. But, all I got was a smile and a blank stare.
 
Now, first of all, (or maybe second of all), I am not throwing any shade on this person, as, again, she is really nice. But, the point to all of this is, the way in which some people live in a space of unexpanded consciousness. They do not seek knowledge, new or otherwise.
 
I remember my father-in-law once said to me, when we were speaking about some philosophic something, while point to his head, “I have too much in here. I don’t have room for anything else.” I laughed it off then. But, I guess that’s the way a lot of people think.  
 
I don’t know about you, but I constantly seek out new information and understandings and whatever. I want to learn. I want to find out. I want to know. If I don’t know about something new and different I hear about, I dive deep into the world of, “Find Out.” Not everyone is like that, however. They know what they know and that is all they know. What they already know is good enough. They think what they think, about whatever it is they think. And, that’s that. No space of anything else or anything new.
 
How about you? How much space in your brain do you have for new knowledge? How much space in your brain do you allow for new knowledge? How willing are you to allow yourself to learn? How much time do you take to learn? …To take in new knowledge, new understandings, new ideas?
 

I don’t know??? I thought everyone knew who Annie Lebovitz is. I guess I’m wrong.