What if...

I was changing out my computer monitors when I found a blog idea I wrote at work. I thought I would go ahead and post it, even though it's not exactly a complete thought.

There is a memory I have from 4th grade that is very distinct. It was an overcast day and we were watching an educational movie in the subject of science, I believe. The lights were kept off after the movie and the whole classroom looked blue.

My teacher sat in a director's chair in the front corner of the classroom, opposite of her angled desk. We were asking questions about the movie. Well, I was listening to other people's questions. Even though I had my own wonderings, burning my conscious, I kept quiet. Shyness has crippled me from being vocal all my life.

Anyway, the kids got into a whole slew of "What if..." questions. At first my teacher tried answering them, but she soon became exasperated.

"You could sit here and ask 'What if?' all day until you are blue in the face. You will never run out of those questions. Focus on real, answerable questions you have!" she finally said, her voice fast because of irritation.

That has bothered me ever since I first heard it. I've always had a huge imagination, and I believe "what if" defines that perfectly. I only get story ideas by seeing something small and then thinking, "What if...?" From there my imagination takes off with fictitious people, places and situations.

Not only with fiction, "what if" also has lead to some of the greatest discoveries of all time. I understand that my teacher was tired of answering questions that had little to do with the subject matter, but telling kids not to ask "what if" is like telling them not to think.

I believe everyone, young and old, should think "what if." Great things could happen.