There are certain topics I have no desire to read about, to learn about. I really believe “ignorance is bliss” on certain issues. Issues and topics like politics (Indian, American and the world). I believe there is an information overload, more than I need to know. I believe I can spend my time reading other things than understand the nitty-gritty details. May be it is because I always feel, I never get an unbiased and truly complete picture I stopped bothering about politics.

The recent US elections created waves and I stayed or at least tried to stay away from the whole thing. I did not watch the debates, did not ever see Obama make his “change” speeches other than something on youtube, did not bother to remember the differences between primaries and caucuses and the list is endless. In spite of the media (print, TV and radio) talking nothing but elections, I tried to stay aloof or rather as aloof as I could.

Past the US elections, yesterday I was in conversation with two politics enthusiasts. It was one of random things where we stood in the parking lot and talked about everything. From Chennai 28 to Mayawati, Obama to Joel Osteen. We spoke and we spoke and then it was time for me to leave. I said my byes and was on road thinking how much fun it is to talk to friends and be even a bit argumentative. And it was then it struck me, all our conversation was about politics and politicians.

Me, who refused to read any blog posts or articles on politics and elections, me who does not have cable at home just coz I can escape the election news, me who religiously sticks to all music radio stations to escape politics knew enough to talk, make a point and argue with two others who followed the elections every step of the way.

I was stunned. I was someone I did not want to be. I wondered how I knew what to talk. How I was able to talk something on a topic I thought I knew nothing about and make sense to people who know everything about it. Where did this election news creep on to me? I religiously avoided anything to do with elections and political news, party policies every day – on the Internet, on the radio, on the paper but still it clinged to me. Random conversations, quick lines that are breaking news which captured the eye all stored in

Is the human mind so powerful that it grasps everything thrown its way and absorbs and soaks in knowledge without me trying to gather? Is my mind a junk yard filled with thoughts and facts I do not want to know? What else has my mind soaked in I wonder. I wish I soaked in physics so easily in school..

My mind is now slowly turning into a junk yard. So powerful and so big it can store in so much details and retrieve them at a micro-second but why does it store all things I do not want it to store? Has it happened to you? Has your mind surprised you with knowledge on topics you never thought you knew?