But let's dig a little deeper into this whole idea that ignorance really is bliss. I have had so many different experiences in my life when not knowing what I was getting myself into was probably better than being experienced. In high school when I decided as a Freshman to try out for cheerleading I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I learned my routines and worked my butt off because I knew I needed to be my absolute best. I was rewarded by making the team, but the next 2 years when I endured tryouts all over again I didn't try as hard. I didn't do my absolute best. I still made the team every year, but my ignorance helped me to compete and try to the very best of my ability.
Reading a book for the very first time, Harry Potter anybody, or basically any Dan Brown book is thrilling the first time around! But once you have read it once, you can never go back and have that experience again. You know what happens and your feelings have changed. You can never go back and reread a book and have it as amazing and thrilling as that first time. Or in the case of The Hunger Games books... completely devastated! The same can be said for watching movies. I literally sat in the theater for about 15 minutes after Inception ended, just blown away by what I had just seen. I was in shock! The movie was still good the next time I saw it but it was nothing like that mind blowing first experience. The same thing happened with The Prestige, Les Miserables (now I just cringe at Russell Crowe every time) and The Dark Knight Rises. When the last two movies ended I may have been crying so hard by the ending that I just needed a minute in that dark theater to get control of my emotions....
Having a baby. I only had heard different things about childbirth, but I had also heard that every single delivery and birth is different. I had no idea what to expect, but like the cheerleading, I just did my best and out came my beautiful little baby! But I will tell you what, ignorance was truly bliss because I do NOT really want to have that experience again. But I do want more kids... tricky situation. The same thing with pregnancy. I thought, in my ignorance, that pregnancy was all flowers and butterflies and really cute clothes... thank you Aniston for that slap in the face. Then there's even parenthood on top of this. I went into parenthood ignorant, and I think I've done okay, bit now that I've done it will I be capable of doing it again someday just as well because it will be different. I am different. I am no longer ignorant.
What about when you try some kind of food for the very first time and it blows your mind? And then the next time you try it, it's just not as good? Maybe it was never really good in the first place but because it was different it just tasted amazing. Let's be honest, that's the worst!
When you are ignorant you are allowed to dream and hope and envision amazing things. Blissful things. But those visions are shattered once you have experienced it. Okay so maybe not shattered but the experience is just not the same. I am a HUGE fan of trying things for the first time. I love being able to live through Aniston in that aspect.
I can definitely say that the only time that ignorance is not bliss is in the case of Disneyland. Disneyland is always amazing and always magical, even if you have experienced it before. But once you know the ins and outs and all of the park, your experience only gets better and better! But your first visit is still AMAZING! Remember Aniston's First Visit to Disneyland?
Now of course to be ignorant after experience is ridiculous. There is a limit to things and I am not so tolerant of people who refuse to use experience to enhance their life. You should never choose to be ignorant, but when you just are ignorant due to life and what you have or have not experienced that's when it's acceptable. Do not choose to be ignorant!
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