If Curious George Went to Pittsburgh...

If you are in Manhattan this summer before August 1, I highly recommend the Curious George exhibit at the Jewish Museum on the Upper East Side [ http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/exhibitions/curiousgeorge ]. This playful monkey with his curious sense of adventure graced many of my childhood bedtime stories. If this curious attitude were invoked in our adult activities, would the playful spirit inspire adventures for us, too?




I recently attended a work-related conference in Pittsburgh. Whenever I mentioned the upcoming trip, people had a chilly reaction to my warm enthusiasm over visiting Steel City. I had no idea what Pittsburgh had to offer, but I was excited to find out. In short, the 'Burgh has much to offer visitors:

• Arts and culture with various museums [Carnegie, Andy Warhol] and numerous theatres for plays, symphonies, and concerts? check;

• A foodie mecca with fabulous, ethnically diverse [and inexpensive] eateries and markets? check;

• A green, clean, and bike- and pedestrian- friendly city with over 20 miles of beautifully groomed riverside trails [and part of a 318-mile trail from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh[ www.atatrail.org ]? check;

• Major league sports teams? check;

• Cool architecture, history, innovation [coal, steel, glass], philanthropists [Carnegie, Frick], and origin of some pretty nifty products [Heinz 57 and Klondike bars]? check;

• A gazillion bridges over the three rivers [Ohio, Monongahela, & Allegheny], and picturesque views from a neighborhood atop Mount Washington, which is accessible by an incline train? check!

With an open mind, curiosity and exploration will reward you with some great memories and adventures.  Admittedly, curiosity comes more naturally when traveling to foreign places where we can easily explore a different culture, landscape, history, language, and food.  Yet, even the next town over has a unique history, colloquialisms, traditions, and natural landscape if you search for it.

On a deeper level do we allow ourselves to be curious in our daily lives, too?  Too often in life, when new opportunities arise, people instinctively or reactively say "No!" without any further consideration. What if we thought more deeply about why we immediately foreclosed the invitation? When we say "no," it could be based upon a past experience or information from others, rather than considering what is possible for us in the present.  Alternatively, we could accept Joseph Campbell's invitation and say a "hearty yes" to the adventure story of our life.  Endless adventures await and could unfold with a simple "yes" and a curious attitude. A big yellow hat may help, too!  Happy exploring!

[Photos by Nicole D. Mignone]