Towel

Linen towel of ancient lineage, the last from Aunt Evelyn, who always had them. So did Granny, but she got the calendar ones that hung for a year, then saw service drying dishes.

We had a visiting surgeon yesterday, from Korea. Very pleasant, and spoke often with our surgeon du jour, apparently fluent in Medicalese, but less so in English. Dr. B. wanted to learn the Korean word for "sloppy," in reference to the original repair he was fixing. But "sloppy" was not in Dr. Visiting's English vocabulary. Scrubbed in myself, I pondered how I would explain it to him, but kept to myself my solution. Too many unknowns about how my offering instruction would be taken, to little benefit. He'll either look it up later, or not.

Hard for me, to know something, really know, and not offer that information. Rarely appreciated, often deeply resented, no matter how gently offered. Which causes me to think less of those unwilling to at least consider. I love learning from others, even if I can't use their information right then, I put it in my pocket for later, and appreciate the help. Sometimes, granted, it can be hard to take. Even if it's utterly wrong, it can be useful data. A word to look up later, right or wrong. An idea that can be useful in a different context. Part of the repertoire.

I gravitate to those smarter than myself, to pick their brains, learn their strategies, challenge my own knowledge. The perk of working with surgeons, asking them questions about what they are doing. Or eavesdropping as they teach residents. Many of them are not globally smart, having instead areas of brilliance and know-how, that doesn't much apply to other fields.

Tests were always fun for me. Let me know clearly just how bright I was, and wasn't. Usually about the 90th percentile, verbal and general, around the 60th in math and visual-spacial skills. Never could get past the most basic chess. I do the US version of crosswords, but I don't think I'd be up to the British version - never quite grasping anagrams and other more complicated wordplay and literary references. I've often been a coward about reading difficult books, occasionally surprized at finding a classic to be quite readable. I've never made it through any Dickens novel. Among bright people, I'm pretty average.

On the other hand, Cash Cab was turned on at work yesterday, and two dimwits got in, missed the first question, got the second with help, missed the third with help, missed the last one all by themselves, and were kicked out. The questions were straightforward, nothing obscure. And the two nurses (capable women, really) thought the first three were too hard, although both of them got the (last) Romeo and Juliet answer quite easily. I walked out to get my room ready, trying not even to think "Really? You didn't know any of them? Seriously?" (How many people in the US don't know about the San Andreas Fault in California?) Ok, everyone has knowledge gaps, but when it's so many, it does indicate profound lack of attention.

I'd love to see the Dunning Kruger Effect research done with much older subjects, see if that changes anything. But then, I've always found curiosity a much more attractive trait than confidence.




Happy Glorious 25th of May and Don't Panic, it's also Towel Day!