Questions I ask myself

A big-game hunter recently returned from Africa and went to a psychiatrist. He told the psychiatrist he didn’t want to go through analysis, but would pay him P2,000 for answering two questions. The psychiatrist said this was highly irregular, but he agreed to do it.

“Is it possible,” the hunter asked, “For a man to be in love with an elephant?”

The psychiatrist said, “Absolutely impossible. In all the annals of medicine, I’ve never heard of it. The whole idea is ridiculous. What’s your second question?”

The man then asked meekly, “Do you know anyone who wants to buy a very large engagement ring?”

Some questions drive us crazy.

I give seminars all the time. During question-and-answer portions, I get asked very intelligent questions. I enjoy this tremendously. Sometimes participants ask questions that have already been answered – that’s alright. Sometimes they ask questions impossible for me to answer – that’s alright too. I simply tell them I don’t know the answer, and if I can be forgiven, I’d like to proceed to the next question. People smile at this; they’re actually more forgiving than you think.

Sometimes I find myself asking questions to which I could hardly find the answers.

Here’s a list of some of those questions:

1. How come dentists ask you questions when they’re sticking things in your mouth? (Not all the time, but many of them do.)

2. How come you can never tickle yourself?

3. How come you can’t keep your eyes open when you sneeze?

4. How come all the good things in life like chocolate, fast food and candies are bad for you?

5. How come you press harder on the remote control when it’s not working?

6. How come people keep on pressing the elevator buttons when it’s already lit?

7. How come yawning is contagious?

8. How come when you’re just browsing items in a store, salespersons would ask if you need help, but when you really need help, they’re nowhere to be found?

9. How come people eat fattening foods then drink a diet soda?

10. How come noses run and feet smell?

11.  If vegetable oil is made of vegetables and olive oil is made of olives, what’s baby oil made of?

12. How come glue doesn’t stick to the inside of the bottle?

Life carries mysteries. We may not have the answer to all of them, but we need to keep on asking questions and be curious with life. A curious mind is a manifestation of an intelligent mind.

Now let me direct you to some more serious questions. Perhaps you have the answer to some or all of these:

1. How come so many people refuse to sit in front when they have paid good money to attend the seminar?

2. How come event organizers have to give away early-bird prizes to encourage people to come in early, and raffle prizes to keep people from leaving?

3. How come hotels, especially the big ones, charge me an expensive fee just to have Internet connection, when shopping malls and many restaurants offer the same for free? Grrrr!

I’m still searching for the answers to these questions, but one thing’s for sure: I’ll never stop asking questions.

(Let’s stay connected! Click on to www.franciskong.com or “Like” my page at www.facebook.com/franciskong2. You can also listen to my radio program “Business Matters” aired at 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. during weekdays over “The Master’s Touch” 98.7 dzFE-FM, the classical music station.)