If you had a crystal ball that could tell you anything you wanted to know — about your life, the world, or anything at all — what would you want to know?* My mind flooded with possibilities when I first thought about this question. For each possibility, I wondered, do I really want to know the answer to that?
How do we reverse climate change? The answer is likely: we can’t. We have to adapt. Why is human history filled with brutality and war, and why do we keep killing one another? I’m not sure knowing the answer to that would help me any, and I suspect I already know the answer: we are selfishly motivated and want to protect our own interests. How can we stop fighting and instead unite to take care of one another? Probably be open to other viewpoints, think of others besides ourselves, be kind. Love. Is this realistic, for all of humanity? Will we ever get there?
The biggest question that came to mind was, What happens when we die? Even this, I don’t know what would I do with the information. If the answer is nothing, our bodies are just food for bacteria and worms, and the energy that is us doesn’t really exist except as genes and chemicals, there’s no spirit, no soul to enter the stream of universal life force, would that change the way I feel about life? I mean, cool for the bacteria and worms. I guess I kind of think this is probably the truth of it anyway, but I also kind of don’t, and I think there’s more, and part of the fun is not knowing but believing, so I’m not sure I want the answer to that question either.
So maybe what I want to know is what goes on in the minds of other animals, and are plants sentient? We as humans think we’re pretty special, and we are, but are we the only ones? What do our cats, Tootsie and Tubbles, think and feel? Do my plants know me? What’s it like to be a tree?
*This question came from Holstee’s reflection cards.
Butterfly Mind 
When our dog used to shake her legs while she was sleeping, we imagined that she was dreaming about chasing rabbits.
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