36 Questions, Part One

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/fashion/no-37-big-wedding-or-small.html

I’ve decided to write a series of posts using the questions in the article above. It will serve to let you get to know me better. I’m figuring the answers to these would change as a person lives their lives. It might be interesting to see how I would change my answers if I come back to this.

1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
I gave this as an essay in my Freshman English class at college (which I took when I was a junior). Bill Watterson, the creator and cartoonist of Calvin and Hobbes. That cartoon really spoke to me, and it still does. I have the complete set sitting in my basement right now. It is a very heavy set of books and I’m afraid it will damage the house if kept in the main living area. :)

2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?
I don’t believe so. I am quite happy being unnoticed by most people. That doesn’t mean I want to live a dull life. I just don’t feel the need to be noticed. Now, there are possible exceptions. If I were to, say, find the cure for cancer, I would willingly sacrifice my anonymity.

3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?
Absolutely. I have a fear of embarrassment as well as being unprepared for a conversation. I don’t have this with friends, as I don’t feel the need to be rehearsed with them. However, if it is a specific conversation, I rehearse to make sure my points will be made and addressed.

4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?
This really depends on the situation and who I’m with. If I was alone, my perfect day would be an early rise, a warm sunny day and a long motorcycle ride. I’d love to say it would be a ride in the mountains, but I’ve never ridden my motorcycle in the mountains. About the closest I came, up a steep hill for the first time, didn’t end well. About the most fun I’ve had is along the rivers here. On one particular ride on the Great River Road along the Mississippi River in Iowa, I rode a deserted stretch of road that had turns that I could take at speed. That was about the best 10 miles of road I’ve been on to date. I thoroughly enjoyed it. After a good ride, sitting in a motel room, feeling like a loner and a bachelor is a nice treat. I crave companionship, but the singular rides mean a lot to me.

5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
I sing along to songs all the time. Almost every time. I like the sense of letting go of my reservations that singing presents to me. I used to have a good voice, but pneumonia on my mission for a church pretty much shot that to heck. I don’t think I could carry a tune anymore, but that doesn’t stop me.

As to singing to someone else...I sing to my kids all the time. Again, that singing along with something else. Singing to someone without the music? Not hardly. The last time I sang to someone with the song playing was yesterday when I picked up my son from school. The song was “Who Cares” by Extreme. It is a simple song with a lot of frustration in the verses. Hayden was actually captured by the song and didn’t leave the car once we arrived home because he wanted to hear the lyrics.

6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
I would rather retain my mind. My body is something that I’ve never been all that happy with. I lost much of my hair in my 20s. I have short legs and a long torso...My mind is where I find the most enjoyment. I love learning, and finding ways to express myself and my thoughts to others, but that is a fairly recent realization. I've always wanted to, but I've actually started in the past few years.

 Also, my love of science and engineering pretty much dominates my life. I couldn't appreciate that, or the arts nearly as much if my mind started to go, now could I?