Everyone has heard the social proverb about curiosity killing the cat – the statement has been featured in plenty of mediums and real-life instances for centuries.
In fact, it first appeared in printed reference in the 1598 play, “Every Man in His Humour,” written by Ben Johnson.
It took until 1912 for the rejoinder “but satisfaction brought it back” variation to be seen from The Titusville Herald.
FYI – a “rejoinder” is defined as a sharp or witty reply – in case you didn’t know.
Naturally, you can leave it to the Edwardian Era to bring the sass nearly 350 years later.
Even then, when I was growing up, I hadn’t heard of the rejoinder about how satisfying one’s curiosity makes it worthwhile even if you “die.”
I’m speaking figuratively about death there – I have too much self-preservation to sate a curiosity to the point of death.
The greatest thing about being connected to the internet 24/7 is that I can look up anything and everything within mere moments.
Of course, that also includes whatever piques my interest as soon as the wind changes direction or some random idea pops into my head.
I know that I’m not alone in thinking about what could possibly be inside an abandoned building – or at the very least someplace overgrown and unkempt.
What stories could such buildings or structures tell and why are they left behind – is it forgotten history or a painful reminder of something lost?
I can’t help the curiosity and nagging desire to know the truth.
Now, let’s be realistic, I’m not going to break into someplace without permission and generate a police response.
However, there are others who possibly do the same thing under the guise of “Urban Exploration,” which is also known as “Urbex” or “UE” in their own lingo.
The Oxford Dictionary defines UE as “the exploration of man-made structures, usually abandoned ruins or hidden components of the man-made environment.”
Thanks to Google, I’ve found countless blogs, social media groups, posts, and dedicated websites to learn more about UE.
Urbex actually has several subgenres – abandoned buildings/structures, roof topping, tunnels/underground systems, and transit exploration.
Many UE participants take up the hobby for either thrill-seeking, curiosity, nostalgia, or storytelling.
And those motivations make it seem rather like any other version of exploration really.
There are some safety risks and considerations to take away from the activity including structural hazards, hazardous materials, unpredictable conditions, communication, legal and security issues, health and safety precautions, planning and research, and going in groups.
Not to mention, there are several recent television shows such as “Urban Explorers” on the Discovery Channel, MTV’s “Fear,” and the Ghost Hunting exploits of The Atlantic Paranormal Society that have packaged the hobby for a popular audience.
Despite all of that, I have to confess that the safety issues are mostly what keeps me from participating because there are so many unknown variables at play – especially if you’re exploring somewhere rural.
Though, then I don’t think you can call it UE at that point, but, that’s probably just semantics.
Either way, I’m sticking to occasionally photographing something somewhere from the outside rather than taking any risks going inside.
After all, I’m only a little curious – not criminally or suicidally curious.
