How Useless Knowledge Allows Me to Connect to Strangers as a Lifelong Introvert
The beauty of useless knowledge, or how I became a birdman
I’ve always been a curious person, and for whatever reason my brain has always been sticky. When I was a teen, my friends and many adults would tease me about all my useless knowledge as I demolished them at trivia games.
I was especially good with pop culture and history.
I never bought into the idea of “useless” knowledge. Every fact I learned could connect to other facts and unlock more of the world for me. When I was younger, knowledge for knowledge’s sake felt like a worthy endeavor.
But now, at almost 48 years old, I see knowledge differently.
This past week, my favorite downtown pond was full of stunning birds. There was a majestic great blue heron and a wild variety of ducks.
I whipped out my phone and took a slew of reference photos for later comics. In the middle of one of my circuits around the pond, I was stopped in mid-haiku composition by a woman with a question. I had seen her and her friend across the pond admiring the heron.
