J.D. Frain earned a degree in journalism before opening a small marketing company in St. Louis, Missouri. For a few years now he’s been writing and selling short stories, but his first paid publication at professional rates, “Two Thousand Miles From Vegas,” appears in the Department of First Stories of EQMM’s November/December issue (on sale next week!). In this post he encourages not just writers but everyone to uncover the many mysteries in the world around them. —Janet Hutchings

Kai, at four years old, recently taught me a lesson about mysteries. I know, I know, as the adult here, perhaps I should be teaching him. But remember the guy who walks around with a hammer, and everything looks like a nail? Similarly, when a person opens their mind to the mysteries of life, everything becomes a lesson.

It comes down to perspective. Mystery isn’t an objective reality. It’s a subjective interpretation of reality. Mystery depends on how you relate to the world around you. What is mysterious to one person may not be to the next.

What was a mystery to my grandson was old news to me. We stood by a backyard pond as several toads (mere tadpoles a week ago!) emerged and hopped across the patio. “How do they learn to live on land?” he wanted to know.

The pond is mine, so I knew that answer. “They lose their gills that allow them to breathe in the water and develop lungs so they can breathe on land.” They also grow limbs and absorb their tail, but one lesson at a time.

He quickly spit out a staccato of questions: “Where will they live now . . . How long can they swim . . . How far can they hop . . . Have you ever run over one with your lawnmower?” I tried to keep up, but while trying to supply answers, this is where I learned the lesson from Kai: Mystery is in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, when you adopt the viewpoint of someone else’s eyes, you can enjoy your own mystery. A fun discovery. Now I had to put it to the test.

There’s a requirement for this process of discovery to work. You have to allow yourself to be vulnerable, the same way a four-year-old does when peppering an adult with questions. A kid isn’t embarrassed about the questions they ask; they’re curious about everything and, perhaps without knowing it, they’re willing to accept the burden of vulnerability.

For an adult, there’s a risk involved. You have to expose yourself. Admit that you might not know something, even if it was something taught in fifth grade science. The good news is, to balance the risk, there’s a reward involved as well. You get to solve some mysteries and meet some people. Make a game of it! Here’s how it works.

Every field of human endeavor has experts. Many of them don’t hang out on the internet. And experts love to talk about their expertise. The hard part for many humans is allowing someone else to share their expertise without interrupting to boast about their own alleged knowledge. Rumor has it you learn a lot more by listening than you do by talking. You knew this as a four-year-old. If you’ve forgotten, let this post be your reminder.

So, pick a day to lose yourself. Leave your phone behind. Visit where you’ve never been. You’ll be amazed at what people are willing to teach you about their field of expertise. Ask a truck driver about the worst time to drive. Talk to a cop about her busiest shift. What’s an unbelievable part about being a nurse? When does a third-shift worker sleep? What’s the funniest thing your cashier has witnessed at work?

When you ask the question, when you show some curiosity (and overcome your vulnerability), you can get answers you’d never find doing typical research. Try it yourself. Decide on the mysteries that make you curious. Pretty soon, you’re going to start getting amazing answers.

I used the examples above because I’ve done them all and enjoyed interesting answers. (Surprise from Truck Driver: “The worst time to drive is in the evening after I get home. I have no interest in getting in my car.” Realization from Cop: “Night shift. Soon as that moon comes out, people change. That’s why I work days now. I get to help people instead of arrest people.” Brutal honesty from Nurse: “I hold a sandwich in one hand and catch vomit with the other. Some people find that hard to digest, but it’s second nature to me now.” Thoughtfulness from Third Shifter: “I love being awake when the rest of the world is sleeping.” Humor from Cashier: “Today’s my second day. Nothing has been funny.”)

Notice how they don’t always answer the question you asked. That’s okay. In fact, that’s favorable. So what are you curious about? What mystery would you like to solve? There’s a good chance you can find an expert with a fascinating answer.

For mystery writers, here’s an added benefit. You’ll often receive an anecdote to help immerse yourself in an unfamiliar world. We’ve all heard the old (and sometimes incorrect) adage to “write what you know.” In some cases it’s better to research what you don’t know. Next time you want to observe the world through someone else’s eyes, adopt their perspective. You’ll see things you’d never witness through your own eyes.

By the way, as we were leaving the pond, Kai wanted to know if he would get warts from a toad. His older sister had told him it could happen. I said, “A witch can turn you into a toad and then you’d have warts like every other toad out there. Just avoid witches and you’ll be safe.” Gotta keep some mystery in the eye of this young beholder, right?