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So, there I was, 18 years old, thinking I had all the answers (which, as many of us know, is exactly when we find out that we don’t know anything at all).
I was buying my first and only pool cue, and no, not because I was very good at pool. I simply thought it would be a cool thing to do.
As me and three of my 18-year-old friends walked into Dufferin Games in Quebec, we were met by an older salesperson who clearly had spent a few hours in a pool hall. He casually asked, “What can I help you with?”
I proudly announced that I would like to purchase a pool cue. He immediately responded with a barrage of questions about cue length, weight, shaft material and flexibility, tip size and material, joint type and location, wrap material and, ultimately, my budget.
Everything went into slow motion.
For some reason, I found myself at a crossroads. Do I act “cool” in front of my friends and pretend I know what I am talking about or, do I come clean, get curious, and tell the salesperson the truth?
No matter which direction I took, he and I would know very quickly that I did not have a clue what was going on.
This is the first moment in my life when I recall choosing curiosity over any other alternative.
Please join me as I share my musings, my learning and my own lessons learned in the superpower I call curiosity.
P.S. – Not only did we learn more about pool cues than any of us thought possible over the next 45 minutes, but we also had a blast hanging out with Gilles (who turned out to be a retired pool shark).
If you are going to swim with the sharks, stay curious, and you just may make it out alive.