Go Be Curious

When my partner and I moved into an apartment together in April, we quickly set to work purchasing rugs, placing shelf liner, and organizing closets. The biggest purchase, and perhaps the thing we put the most thought into, was the sofa. We looked online. We read reviews. I popped in and out of every furniture store within a 2-mile walking radius. And then, we found our guy.

My partner had called a local furniture store one evening to see if they had something we were considering in stock. Come to the store, the owner encouraged.

When we walked in the door the next evening, my partner began the spiel about talking to the owner on the phone the night before and— And before he could finish, the owner stood up, shook his hand, and greeted my partner by name.

So we were sold.

We walked around the store and sat on different sofas and sectionals testing the important and highly scientific measurements of coziness and comfort. Throughout the whole process, we were laughing and joking with the owner and his son who seemed to be just about the kindest people we'd ever met. 

We chose our sofa and were talking about the delivery plan for it as well as our nerves about getting the couch up to our third-floor unit. I was sitting next to the son, filling out the delivery form and having my credit card processed when the owner took my partner and led him around the corner to look at a set of stairs in the neighboring building. 

Unsure, for a moment, if I was supposed to follow them or not, I half-stood, half-mumbled, as I tried to figure out if I was done with the payment part of the transaction. That's when the son smiled and said: "Yes, it's okay. Go be curious." 

Go be curious.

I was halfway to the door, rushing to keep up lest I lose them around the corner, when "go be curious" came back into my brain. 

Go be curious about the average size of a New York City stairwell. 

A few minutes later, as we were walking home, brimming with the joyful experience that is purchasing a sofa from Just About the Kindest People We've Ever Met, I realized that they're doing more than selling sofas. 

And so I will ask a million questions. I’ll challenge myself to think deeply. I’ll sit in awe. 

This week, we invite you to be curious… and to marvel at the world we can create.