Sometimes I forget what I know

Wait. That sounds wrong. Let's try again:

Sometimes I forget that not everyone knows what I know.



That doesn't sound much better, really. Now I just sound like I'm full of myself. What I mean is, sometimes I forget that what to me seems common knowledge isn't necessarily that known. In respect to my job, in this case.

I've been at this whole naturalist thing for so long that it's easy for me to assume that things I learned when I was first starting out are things that everybody just knows, you know? They've become so much of my base knowledge that I forget that not everyone has the same base knowledge. After all, I've known it forever so of course everyone else does too, right?

I imagine it's the same for any job or interest, though. You get so used to your own basic knowledge, assumptions, and jargon that it comes as something of a minor shock when you talk to someone outside the field and find yourself explaining things that shouldn't (or at least feel like they shouldn't) need explaining. It's not that people are stupid; it's just that you've become a little isolated in your own personal niche.

Um, as it were.

It's a little weirder for me than some, however, because a big part of my job is teaching children. Now, naturally children won't just know that "common knowledge". That's why we teach them, last I checked. I expect children to have questions about the basics, but it always seems a bit odd when I go for a walk with an adult and they have the same questions as the kids. That's when I have to remind myself that the basics for me aren't the same basics someone else may have. It's fine -- and a little exciting, to be honest -- once you get past the moment of realisation and start talking about those basics (assuming that the person that you're with wants to learn them), but there's definitely a slight Twilight Zone moment of whyyy don't you know this? before you get there.

I'm sort of in the Twilight Zone just now, and it has to do with the whole working weekends again thing. For most of the year my contact with my weekend staff is by Friday memo and monthly work schedule e-mails. In the summer, however, I switch my days off so that I can go out in the park and be Nature Girl for the visitors, and as a result I actually see my staff in person.

They always have questions.

That's good, because I often have answers.

It always hits me, though, that they don't have a chance to be here on the weekdays when what we call the core staff (not that fond of the term myself, but I'm not sure I'd have a suggestion for a replacement) is answering questions, bouncing ideas off each other, and generally gaining a knowledge base whether we realise it or not. The weekenders largely fend for themselves. They do it well, for the most part, but if they don't know something they have to do the best they can with search engines and books. When I'm here they ask me first. Makes sense -- it saves time, and I can often give a little more background than a website can.

Some of the questions honestly surprise me.

Yep, whyyy don't you know this?...



Because they haven't been doing it for twenty-two fricking years, Dee. Twenty-three in September.

sigh

Ah well. They pick it up, as I can easily see from those who have been here for a few years now. And eventually it'll become base knowledge for them, and they'll be the ones with the Twilight Zone theme in their heads.

Nah, that'll probably be just me with the earworm. Most of them probably don't know the Twilight Zone theme to begin with...



Will you kids get off of my lawn, already?

Back to work now, being a know-it-all.



Or at least a know-more-of-it-than-you.