Ignorance Is Pain

I guess this is an "anti-English journal" post. I'm writing my essay here, then copying and pasting and printing and turning it in on Monday. I'm also waiting to write the outline until I've written the essay itself. I wrote something on here about the same topic awhile ago, but this is a bit different. I'm using different examples.
And since this is just my first draft, if any of you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments.

We've all heard people say that ignorance is bliss. Most of us don't give much thought to it and continue on with the conversation. I am not one of those people. I don't think it's something to shrug off. It's a dangerous thing to have in our minds-- doubly so when it's only there subconsciously.

When we say those words, "Ignorance is bliss," we're depriving ourselves and those around us of our potential. There is a poster at the elementary school where my mom works that proclaims "The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the smarter you grow. The smarter you grow, the stronger your voice when speaking your mind or making your choice." Ignorance isn't bliss. Knowledge is power, or at least potential power.

How many of us have found ourselves in a conversation regarding a subject matter we know nothing about? It's embarrassing, and we feel left out. That's not bliss. My neighbors recently had a baby, but he was six weeks early and had to stay in the hospital for a little while. They didn't know when he was going to be able to come home. That's not bliss. Not knowing whether or not the person you like likes you back isn't bliss either, nor is reaching the cliffhanger at the end of a book and not having the sequel waiting on your bedside table.

Maybe ignorance can be bliss for a little while. There was some family drama going on over the summer that my mom knew nothing about. The problem with ignorance is that it's so easily broken. Once you know something, it's beyond difficult to forget. However, if you don't know something, all it takes is one sentence and that glass is broken forever. Once my mom found out what was going on, it tore at her incessantly. That is a case in which ignorance was indeed better, except that once she knew, she could remedy it. Now everything is fine. The world has become a better place due to the breaking of ignorance.

Why is an open-minded education so important? It is part of the fight against ignorance. Without education, our world would be drastically different. We wouldn't have any modern technology. We would still be living in the Dark Ages, farming. Why are we farming? There isn't anything else we can do-- because we are ignorant.

Why do we fear death? It’s the Great Unknown. We are ignorant as to what it contains, therefore we are afraid. Why are we nervous on the first day of school? We are ignorant as to what it contains, and therefore we are afraid.

Ignorance is pain. You’re waiting for that phone call, or that email. You’re keeping silent because you have nothing to contribute.  You’re wishing your baby could come home but not knowing when that day will come. You’re continually wondering if life would have been better if you lived on the other side of the hill, but you don't know. Because you are ignorant.