Boxing It In

I'm sure it's just my natural freakishness but I have a hard time communicating with people. I tend to ask "how?" and "why?" and "what do you think?" and I mean it. There's a lot of superficial talk and conversations going on and those questions don't really fit in. Ummm, well, unless it's someone who has Always Done Things This Way and they're asking me why I do my freakish things. (you know, the whole vegetarian/vegan, non-GMO, unschooling, life-learning, non-Christianity, home-based things. In that case it's always okay to Ask The Freak Uncomfortable Questions)

I also notice that unless they're able to put a concept In A Box, sometimes it's hard for people to grasp an idea. Sure, I have mind pictures when I hear words like "house", "food" and "school" but when I'm talking to someone else, I'm pretty sure their ideas are their own (or at least certainly not the same as mine!) and I want to clarify what they mean so I can understand them better. Maybe that was something I was born with or maybe it's a survival mechanism I've developed after being with Meat for 20 years. Semantics can make a huge difference in your conversations, people! Most people seem to be really happy in their boxes. And really uncomfortable when asked "why" or "how". Because, well, I must be pretty stupid if I don't get it that things are done THIS way because they've always been done THIS way. What's wrong with me that I don't get that simple idea?

Sometimes it is easier to talk to people on common levels: the weather, the price of whatever and other, simple and safe topics. But it really makes it hard to be anything more than an acquaintance with many. I think life is more interesting and full when I question what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. It means that I'm frequently changing and altering how I do things and what I believe. It also alters who others perceive me as but I think of it as growing into a Newer Me.