I should have learned the order of the signs of the zodiac.
I pretty much know them already, but for a bit of a hiccup around Libra. It’s all about knowing people with birthdays in those months.
But instead, I boldly strode where no man had gone before. I announced that I would learn the countries in Africa.
My new year’s motto is to be the best I can be and so I decided that knowing all things African would hopefully be of some use to the trivia team I play with. Every week, my humiliation at knowing practically nothing except the most basic of questions (and everyone knows these answers) drives me forward in a quest for knowledge. It must be noted here that I am still at the driving forward stage and haven’t actually supped at the fountain as yet.
I decided that 2017 was the time to take that first drink. After all, how hard could it be to rattle off a few countries?
I announced my intention on facebook and a team member responded (rather too quickly I might say) that perhaps I should learn the capitals and flags as well.
Why sip from the fountain when you can take massive gulps?
And so the commitment was made. And all before checking the map. This explorer of truth and knowledge would march forward without such trappings.
I rolled up my figurative sleeves and prepared for a short session of study. I already knew about Egypt and South Africa and I have been to Morocco. I was clearly half way there.
The map I looked at was nicely coloured in various shades of purple and pink. And as I admired those little blobs of colour the sickening realisation came. The colours were the countries and boy, Africa is some intricate patchwork.
Apparently there are more countries in Africa than there are in the 12 zodiac signs. I was starting to get the laughter behind the capitals and flags suggestion from a team member who actually knows her trivia.
And so, every day I stare at the map heading on my own mental safari and hoping for some sort of osmosis to take place. I may not be learning the countries too quickly, but with renewed insight, I have learned why all things geographic have never been my forte. – Linda Muller
