Stupid Questions for the Win

Everyone has heard someone say some variation of “There’s no such thing as a stupid question” it’s a universal thing, but is it true? There are definitely stupid questions, it ranges from ridiculous to inappropriate, usually these questions are asked by kids. As a kid I personally remember asking a lot of stupid questions, it tends to happen when you have the ignorance of a kid and the confidence only young people have. As I’ve gotten older, gained experience and critical thinking skills I don’t ask stupid questions as often. Though like many I spend my nights remembering the stupid things I have said and done in the past. This memory takes me back to third grade, I was eight and all ready to get to school and get a prize.

The prize wasn’t an award from the school to get at an assembly or anything, that was a different thing, plus I never won that anyway. The prize was something just my class did, you earned tickets for being good and could cash those tickets in for a prize. The prizes were held in a set of plastic drawers labeled one to ten, the more tickets spent gave a better prize. I had finally collected ten tickets and wanted to get the dinosaur toy, it was one of those that grew in water. I kept six of the tickets in my little cubby but had taken home the other four after earning them. As a kid I was very forgetful, actually I still am, anyway taking home the tickets was my downfall, I left them in my sweater and it went through the wash. Getting to school and pulling out the tickets showed a vaguely rectangular shape with most of the print missing, it looked more like a red blob of construction paper than the ticket for success. Dread filled my stomach, there was no way I was going to get that toy. 

I pulled out my good tickets and put them next to the ruined blobs and raised my hand “Can we use tickets that went through the washer?” My teacher looked at me then the tickets and laughed. It was one of those throat laughs of disbelief that then turned into a belly laugh as she gripped her desk. It was horrifying, of course the answer was no, I felt so foolish. I should’ve just thrown the tickets away and earn my way back to ten. Butterflies filled my stomach and my face felt hot, “That’s great.” My teacher said “I’ll still take them” I was speechless. I earned my dino, I still felt stupid, but I finally got the dinosaur. I felt strange almost pointing at what I wanted and finally having it, holding it in my hand looking at the fabled reward. It might have well been gold, I was so excited. I was usually quick to shove things into my backpack, I did not like to share so it was an easy way to say that this is mine, but I just wanted to keep looking at my reward. 

I went home that day with my butterfly backpack that was much big for me, a winner, even if it took a little courage to get there. It was one of the few days I actually answered my parents when they asked how school was. My older brothers even did a good job of acting excited for me, they were thirteen and fifteen, there was no way they actually thought that it was as amazing as I did. I was excited to tell everyone about the dino, and of course I did.

The horror in the moment was certainly worth it, had I not asked I never would’ve known my tickets were still good. It always took forever to earn tickets so somebody likely would’ve gotten the dino before I’d be able to get it. As an almost adult I definitely wouldn’t be willing to repeat the situation again. I lack the confidence I had as a child, but still asking questions is good. It’s better to look silly for a moment than look ridiculous later on and not have time to fix your mistakes. Ask stupid questions, you either get the answer you seek or might make someone laugh.

Photo by Umanoide on Unsplash