Dealing with the public, part 2. The question

It's been a busy couple of weeks since the last post. Travelling and a birthday and getting ready for a new adventure have slowed down the writing frequency. Incidentally, this blog post was finished the day when we had a discussion of questions that drive us crazy in a staff meeting and I listened closely to see if I could garner some more insight into questions the visitors ask and how interpreters respond.

Whoever said,"There are no stupid questions" did not work in historical interpretation, or education in general. We get stupid questions and comments all the time.

"Teacher? Why are you dressed weird?"

At least, that's what we think.

The questions seem stupid to us at first, because we already know the answer and the crowds are simply ignorant.

Now, when I say ignorant, I want to address a negative stigma that we have attached to the word as a society. When I mean ignorant, I am not referring to some sort of prejudicial, misguided, or negative remark. They are making a question or a comment based on their limited or complete lack of knowledge.

They simply do not know.
Let that sink in for a second and think back on how we ask questions. If I knew all about the topic, why would I ask a question?

"Aren't you hot wearing that?"

Since we interpreters know; since we have the experience, training, and extensive knowledge, of course the question is stupid. We already know the answer, partly because we have answered the same question over and over again to the point that we mistakenly think everyone knows. One of my mentors over the years, a man named Steve Rose, made it a point early on in my training as a outdoor education instructor to remind us that it may be our umpteenth time doing or saying something, but it is their first time asking the question. That guidance has served me well over the years.  While others have mentioned similar thoughts, it was his mantra for long weeks over longer times when the fatigue of repetition has set in that kept me from responding harshly

Realizing that it is their first time and they will ask questions that have been answered with the last visitor is a mental exercise in customer service.

Make it a game. How many times can I get asked some variation of the Same Old Question Everyone Asks in a hour? In a day? Can you break that record? Can another interpreter break that record? One way of letting off that steam is the honest introduction,"We get that question a lot out here..." and give them the answer. This is about their experience, not your convenience.

"Teacher? Do you live here?"

Getting back to the interpreters' reaction to the stupid question, our own satisfaction in our knowledge and wisdom has given us a haughty arrogance, although this haughty ignorance can be subliminal and sometimes not perceptible at first. That is why the question is perceived as stupid. It is our own assumption about the very nature of the person who makes the question or comment.

Because they are asking a question, they are revealing their own ignorance in the content of the question. If they knew, they wouldn't ask. Our responsibility is to remove that ignorance by giving a affirming and correct answer delivered in a manner that the questioner can effectively receive. Never make stuff up. The hardest thing as an interpreter is to admit not knowing an answer to a question. It's humbling. If you are working in tandem with a staff member, bring the person with the question to your fellow staff member, introduce them to the knowledgeable staff member and have them repeat the question or rephrase the question. That makes it personal and shows that you are learning together while keeping them involved. Another method for answering when you don't know an answer and admitting you don't know either is trying to reason out an answer. For example, if the question is about a certain tool on the wall and have never seen it demonstrated, work with them and work up a couple ideas about what it is. Is it sharp? Does it have a handle? What could we use it for? The most important thing is to later find out the answer! If you got the question once, you will probably get it again. Hopefully that embarrassment you feel at not having an answer will prompt an earnest search not to be put in this situation again.

"Do you have a question?" "Can I go to the bathroom?"

Then there are these questions, "Is that fire real?" Resist the urge to give sarcastic answers. Especially with children. Children do not have the sophistication to understand sarcasm, not yet anyways. It is rude and patronizing. However, I've wondered what the fascination is with what is 'real' at interpretive sites. Is it because of our technological wizardry that we have blurred the lines of reality? 3D special effects, life-like images, life-like props, Hollywood magic, and the child's own sense of fantasy have led into a lot of the 'reality' questions. The urge for a sarcastic answer also stems from repetition and arrogance.

"Teacher? Is that gun real?"
"Yes"
"Can you shoot me with it?"
"No"

Sometimes you get the silly questions. In my opinion, you can give a straight answer or the occasional silly answer. Reading your audience is key for giving a silly answer, and it isn't always advisable. I was given a silly question the other day: "That's the biggest pig I've ever seen in my whole life! Are they rhino-pigs?" The questioner was a pre-teen girl and her giggly friends. Based on that and a few other observations, I decided that they were being silly, so I felt I could safely give a silly answer in response. "Yes, rhino-pigs are a common animal in North America; they are mostly used by the army, bred for their skills and magic." I said this with a smile. They giggled and moved on before I could give a thoughtful response on pig sizes, so that further cements my observation of silliness; they were interested in making small talk, not the size of pigs. They understood that I was joking. The silly answer is tough to gauge when would be appropriate, which is why I will rarely use it.

In the end, we have to come to the realization that we must have patience with the visitors and to hold back our frustrations at having to answer questions that would be quite frustratingly obvious to us, over and over again. Remember, it's probably their first time, so make a great first impression for them!