Skip to main content

Oh, the Things You Can Ask

In this special episode, Oh, the Things You Can Ask and the Dreams You Can Grasp!

In a world full of wonders, all wiggly and grand,

There's so much to see, all across the whole land!

Don't just sit in your spot like a glum-looking Gnu,
There's exploring to do, just waiting for YOU!

So open your eyes and look all around,
At the sights and the sounds that happily abound!

And when something seems strange, or a bit out of whack,
Don't just shrug and say, "Well, I guess that's that!"

No, no, little friend, that's not the right way!
You must ask a question, today, yes, today!

Like "Why does the sky turn all colors at night?"
Or "Why do the stars twinkle so shiny and bright?"

Be curious, friend, like a fox in the woods,
Investigate things, like a good question should!

Poke and you'll peek, and you'll try, and you'll see,
The marvelous mysteries waiting for thee!

Now, while you are looking and asking with glee,
Don't forget to dream big, as big as can be!

Imagine a Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz in the sky,
Or a Grickle-Grass growing way up super high!

Dream dreams that are lofty, and silly, and bold,
Let your thoughts take you places, both new and quite old!

For a dream is a seed, and with sunshine and care,
It can grow into something amazing, I swear!

And when you go journeying, near and so far,
Find good folks to travel with, like a bright shining star!

Folks who lift you up high, and who help you to grow,
Not the grumpy old Grumps who just tell you "No, no!"

So go forth and explore, with a question in hand,
Be curious always, all over the land!

Dream lofty, great dreams, let your spirit take flight,
For the world is your oyster, so go shine your light!

I'm excited to share this poem and my latest blog post, " Unleash Your Inner Artist, "in which I explore creativity and collaboration with Gemini AI. I've asked AI many questions and shared previous blog posts for insights on my writing style and suggestions for expanded subjects.

This poem reflects our conversations! How, you ask? It's quite simple, really: I asked Gemy (AI) to synthesize our discussions and create a poem in a fun Dr. Seuss style. What do you think?

It's exciting to think about your extraordinary potential to explore new ideas—our only limits are our imagination and the willingness to ask questions!

I'm Patrick Ball. Stay curious, explore, and ask questions–it's fun! See you in the next episode. 

Comments

Don Hanley said…
Wonderfully funny and inspiring - AND a bit too long.

Most Popular of All Time

The Birth of a Cubs Legend

In this episode, The 162-Game Exhale — and the Birth of a Cubs Legend There’s a hush in the baseball world on Game 162 — a collective breath drawn in and slowly released. Scoreboards stop flipping. Dugouts empty. For six months, the game has been our steady heartbeat, pulsing from the cherry blossoms of Tokyo in March to the crisp, playoff-charged winds of late September. And now, as the regular season exhales, baseball fans everywhere pause to absorb the story we’ve just lived. For me, that story has been deeply personal. This season unfolded in the rhythms of my daily life. It was the summer soundtrack echoing beneath the constant turmoil of politics and sensational headlines. It was a handful of carefully chosen ballpark pilgrimages stitched together with countless nights in front of MLB.TV. And at the center of it all, for a lifelong Cubs fan like me, it revolved around one name — a young center fielder who turned hope into history: Pete Crow-Armstrong. The 2025 season didn’t begin...

The Pessimism Aversion Trap

In this episode, The Pessimism Aversion Trap Picture this: a room full of bright minds nodding in agreement as a bold new strategy is unveiled. The slides are polished, the vision is grand, and the future, we're told, has never looked brighter. Everyone beams—because who wants to be the one to say, "Um… this might not work"? Heaven forbid someone spoil the mood with a dose of reality. Better to smile, add a buzzword or two, and march confidently toward disaster. That's how the Pessimism Aversion Trap works. Even now, I can still hear the sound—a high-pitched shriek and a digital hum, followed by the slow, rhythmic clatter of data pouring from a 5¼-inch floppy disk. It was the late 1980s, and my makeshift home office (our living room) was dominated by what felt like a marvel of modern engineering: a used Tandy 1000 PC with not one, but two floppy drives. To top it off, we purchased a 'blisteringly fast' 300-baud modem—which, for the uninitiated, could downloa...

Pushing the Pause Button

In this episode, Pushing the Pause Button: Stepping Off the Treadmill Hello, friends — If you're reading this, I'm already off the grid. Today begins a much-needed vacation, and for the next few weeks, On the Fly is taking a break right along with me. For a long time, my inner voice has said, 'Keep every commitment, no matter what.' That's meant early mornings, long days, and a calendar packed with posts, podcasts, and projects I couldn't seem to say no to. I've been trying to be the tireless workhorse—but that kind of grind doesn't end well. Lately, I've noticed I'm not quite myself—shorter fuse, louder sighs, and a few too many grumbles (Lori deserves a medal). That's when you know it's time to hit pause before the spark burns out. So, I'm stepping back to rest, recharge, and remember what it feels like to not live by the next deadline: no tech, no to-do lists, just some space to breathe. Thank you, truly, for all your support and ...

The Friday Morning Pause

In this episode,  The Friday Morning Pause: When My Brother’s Bookshelf Called Me to Stillness We live in a world allergic to stillness. Our mornings begin mid-sprint—thumbs scrolling before our eyes even open. The impulse to jump into the digital chaos is immediate. But sometimes, stillness finds you . It was early Friday morning. We’d arrived late the night before, stepping into the cool air before the day turned hot. Half-awake, I reached for my phone—emails, headlines, social feeds waiting like a morning buffet of distraction. We were in Cuba. No Wi-Fi. No 5G. No password. Just stillness, disguised as inconvenience. Instead, I caught sight of something unexpected: a small stack of books on my brother’s TV shelf. My brother and his wife are powered by perpetual motion. They are the definition of overscheduled and overstimulated. Yet there it was: Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday, quietly mocking my scrolling habit. The irony was perfect. I put my phone down—a small, delibe...