Simple Maths

Age. With age comes wisdom. This saying has exactitude...right? The last few weeks I've found myself trying to figure out if there is an intelligence pinnacle; a point in life where you are the smartest you're ever going to be. Or does the adage hold true? Is the wisest wise we'll ever be the day we take our last breath? 

A lot of people I know seem to be born in February. I had a notification in my email inbox alerting me that seven of my facebook friends were having birthdays this week. Maybe it's just a coincidence among my friends, who knows. I just want to know why May is 'the month' to bump uglies. Mother's day? Surely not.

Yesterday it was my roommate Sahira's birthday. In case it isn't common knowledge, my roommates are Mexican, and are therefore native Spanish speakers. The past week I've been trying to learn Spanish in an effort to better communicate with them and their friends, and to better my intelligence. Estoy confundida - to say the least. Sahira had a small gathering last night to celebrate. I was the only person in the room who couldn't speak Spanish. I didn't understand 95% of the conversation going on around me. I listened hard. I watched their facial expressions and hand gestures and body language for clues as to the content of the stories being told. But still, I was at a loss. An unnerving feeling invaded me. For the first time in a long time, I felt really stupid.

When that feeling kicked in I started to think about all of the unknown 'stuff' out there; all of the information that I don't know, and that I might never know. I don't know how to fix a car, or sail a yacht, or karate-chop a piece of wood in half. I don't know how to play an oboe, or make a martini, or fold a fitted sheet correctly. I especially don't know how to speak Spanish.   

I've arrived at the conclusion that wisdom does come with age. It's inevitable really. It's all tied up with experience. Think of it like a simple mathematics equation: age + experience = wisdom. Maybe, inadvertently, I'm just here in Tronts to learn Spanish. Or maybe the experience / wisdom I'm gaining is immeasurable; limited only by my own limitations.

If we live the fullest life we possibly can, we will get unwittingly wise. Even still, we can never know everything there is to know. Frustrating, yet sobering. But I guess it's just something we all have to accept.

Buenas noches.