If you Travel East, It Will Cause The Sun to Rise

You are probably wondering what in the world this crazy talk is all about!  Well, ironically, that is the point: that it is crazy talk.  Unwittingly, many people live their lives this way.  Many of us make (self proclaimed) profound statements based exclusively upon the information we have.  Certainly, our own experiences help us to form insight, but Dad always wanted me to recognize the foolishness of being certain that I always had all of the information.

The saying developed from our mornings of him driving me to school.  It was roughly a thirty minute drive to the East every morning.  The example that he developed for me was that it was obvious that when we drive East, the sun rises.  He was pointing out that with a myopic point of view, a person is unable to develop a frame of reference for understanding true causation.  Certainly, we can make our best educated decisions, and work fervently to gather information prior to taking action, however, no matter how much we know, we must recognize that there is always going to be more information.  We must watch for it, accept it when it arrives, and adjust our thinking every day to encompass a deepening understanding of life.

To a child, the concept of the sun rising because we drive East every day is reasonable.  However, as you grow to understand the rotation of the planets, the seasons, and other events defined by physics of which I have little knowledge, we discover that the sun continues to rise even on the days we play hooky.

Be ready to gain new information, and be willing to allow your opinions and understanding and even convictions to change with your newfound knowledge.