She said, “There is no such thing as a stupid question.”
I will never forget those words.
For months prior to her saying those words, I would sit in the corner of the room, trying to make myself invisible.
Every Monday and Wednesday morning, I used to enter her 9th grade English class, thinking, “Please don’t pick me, please don’t pick me."
I would pray over and over again that I was not the next one she called on.
The class started at 7:50am. I would do my best to be there by 7:45am to reserve my seat, the corner desk right by the window.
I chose the seat that was the furthest from the teacher, so that it would increase my chances of not being seen or called upon.
I remember the routine vividly.
I’d walk in.
Walk super-fast toward the desk, lightly nudging some of the students that stood in my way.
Pull out the book we were reading and place it standing on top of the desk.
I purposely placed the book standing up on the top of the desk, so I could hide my face behind it, as the rest of my body slid down the plastic chair beneath the wooden desk.
The rest of the time, I concentrated on the big, round clock, hanging above the chalkboard, waiting for it to strike 9:15am.
As I said before, I followed this routine for months, until one day, Judith DeWoskin, my 9th grade English teacher, chose to address the whole classroom with the following, “There is no such thing as a stupid question.”
I felt an elephant had been lifted off my chest after I heard those words.
Her words gave me permission to ask questions and not feel less than.
I didn’t have the courage to immediately.
It took me years to develop the courage to ask questions, seek answers.
But, what was important during those years was her message, “There is no such thing as a stupid question.”
As I sit here today, reflecting back on that moment in my 9th grade classroom, close to nine years ago, I can’t help, but think of the impact her words had on me.
I don’t know if she knew the impact those word would have on students at the time, but she does now.
At least the impact that it had on me. Because I told her.
“There is no such thing as a stupid question.”
Those words made me realize the importance of asking questions.
We are all on our own individual paths to acquire knowledge.
I encourage you to ask questions, seek answers.
In my opinion, it doesn’t matter whether those surrounding you want to know the same things you do, what matters most is, “What do YOU want to know?”
“There is no such thing as a stupid question.”
If you enjoyed this, please share your thoughts by commenting below or joining us on one of our weekly, “Courageous Conversations” virtual meetup gatherings.
Oleg Lougheed is the host of the Overcoming Odds Podcast, where you get a glimpse into the stories of individuals who have overcome adversity, suffering, and struggle in achieving their personal success.
