December 9, 2024. Why Not Ask?.

Hey there! Let’s start with something I’ve always believed in: curiosity is one of the most underrated superpowers. It’s the spark that lights up ideas, the nudge that makes you wonder, “What if?” For me, curiosity has been a lifelong companion, sometimes a little too loud, sometimes a little too relentless, but always there, pushing me forward.

As a kid, I was the one asking all the questions. Imagine a tiny, wide-eyed me staring at a tiger statue, trying to figure out why it didn’t move like the tiger I’d seen at the zoo. “Did they freeze it? But there’s no ice. Did they… paint a real tiger?” (Spoiler: no tigers were harmed in the making of that statue.) I didn’t know what “statue” even meant, but I knew something didn’t add up, and I just had to figure it out.

Fast forward to now, and not much has changed, except I’ve learned to keep my questions a little quieter. Society has a way of making you feel like you shouldn’t ask “why” all the time. But honestly, why not ask?

Growing up, I admired people who dared to dream big. Bacharudin Jusuf Habibie, for example, an innovator who made waves in indonesia (at least). Watching a movie about his life filled me with awe and sparked a million questions. I dreamed of sitting at a table with him, asking him everything from “What inspired you?” to “Did you ever get stuck and just want to give up?”

Life had other plans, though, and I never got that chance. But then along came ChatGPT, a tool that, for someone like me, felt like finding a treasure chest of answers. Finally, there was a way to ask all those questions I’d stored up, from the practical to the absurd. It’s like having a 24/7 conversation partner that never says, “Okay, that’s enough questions for today.”

Now, here’s the funny part: I used to feel a bit embarrassed about how many questions I had. I’d see people who seemed perfectly content to let life just… be. No overthinking, no constant wondering about the mysteries of the universe. And for a while, I thought, “Am I doing this wrong? Is there something wrong with me?” But I’ve realized that everyone’s wired differently. Some people build skyscrapers, some people write poetry, and some of us spend way too much time wondering why math can’t be done a different way. (Spoiler: It probably can, but don’t ask me to prove it.)

For the longest time, I kept my thoughts locked away, hidden in journals and the occasional late-night rant to a friend who probably just wanted to sleep. But then I thought: why not put it out there? Why not share the messiness of figuring things out?

Because here’s the thing: ideas are weird and wonderful, and sometimes they don’t make sense right away. But that’s the point. Sharing thoughts isn’t about being right; it’s about starting conversations. It’s about taking that first, awkward step and seeing where it leads.

So that’s what this is. A tiny glimpse into the chaos of my mind, shared with the hope that maybe it sparks something in yours. I’m not here to convince you that I have all the answers. I don’t. But I’m here, and I’m trying, and I think that counts for something.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the future belongs to the curious and there’s plenty of room at the table.