Thought Provoking Questions

It's been a very productive long weekend, considering we get a day off for a football game (Australian Rules Grand Final yesterday  - of which I've had next to no interest in as my team was out of the finals and yesterday's final was walkover and one of the most boring games of footy I've seen in ages - saw the last half - ) .

So far this weekend I've:

• Cleaned the flat
• Received the new washing machine and fridge (both are excellent - the fridge won't give me food poisoning now)
• Arranged, at a princely sum, clothing to wear to the wedding in India in a few weeks (one salwar kameez and one lehenga - gawd)
• Gone to the gym
• Set up the new NBN network in the flat. 
• Had a pedicure
• Finished a short story. 
• Did a proper food shop - with vegetables, cos now the fridge will keep them cold now.
• Made arrangements to get the Masons' paperwork done. (Joy)

And still do to:

• Arrange my visitor's visa for India
• Apply to do some undergraduate tutoring at a local university

As I said, productive. 

Questions, as always, from Bev at Sunday Stealing. 

If you could instill one piece of advice in a newborn baby’s mind, what advice would you give?

'You are smart. You are kind. You are important.' Oh, if I had learned this well before my 40th birthday...

What is the most desirable trait another person can possess?

Kindness. And a sense of humour. Without either, I don't rate that person.

What are you most grateful for?

My health. After two weeks of being off colour, I so miss being healthy. I'm not sick now, I just want this ear to unblock so I can hear properly again.

Is stealing to feed a starving child wrong?

No, although it's not the most desirable way of getting help, sometimes it has to be done.

What do you want most?

At the moment, a bit of security. I have some security, but it would be good to feel a little more stable. Lots on my mind at the moment, but I often feel like this when my contract is coming to an end. I'm sure the universe will provide - sometimes it's a matter of waiting for things to fall into place. Touch wood, things will work out.

Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

I like to think that these two things don't need to be mutually exclusive, but I err on doing the right thing. I'm good at finding other ways to do things.

What has life taught you recently?

Oh, these are deep questions. Life has taught me that no matter how much you struggle, there will still be curve balls that come your way. It's not what you do, but how you approach it all.

What is the one thing you would most like to change about the world?

I'd love for the world to be a lot fairer. And that people start listening to science. We're getting spoon fed by mega-rich, science denying despots. Enough is enough.

Where do you find inspiration?

In the gym. It still amazes me how much I can do in there. It's a great place to lose myself and find myself. Some of my best ideas are found on the treadmill.

Can you describe your life in a six word sentence?

Sometimes fortune does favour the brave.

If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?

I think this is a pride thing. As I've got older, I've got over this one, thank goodness for the most part. It's only when I knit that I am terrified of making a mistake. I hate unpicking knitting.

What impact do you want to leave on the world?

It would be wonderful to have a legacy like that of Margaret Atwood or Salman Rushdie - to be a writer who's ideas are valued. But as that is very unlikely, I'd like to be remembered as a kind person who left a limited footprint. That will be enough. I'm nothing special.

What is the most defining moment of your life thus far?

Probably getting my Master's degree. I never thought this would happen. I never thought I had the brains to make this happen. It did.

In the haste of your daily life, what are you not seeing?

Probably some opportunities, and some of the goodness that goes on in the world. It's a scary place out there at the moment.

If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

Probably conditioning - there is this thought out there that we have to suffer to get anywhere. It's not true. You tend to be a lot happier doing the things you like to do. Must is a word that should be banished from the English language. A sense of obligation is a terrible thing.

What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?

Music, kittens and puppies, gin. kindness, being near water... that's a few of them.

Have you ever regretted something you did not say or do?

Yes. I didn't tell somebody how I felt about him when I probably should have years ago. It doesn't matter now, but it may have changed some things. I don't like to think what if I did, but it is my one regret.

Has your greatest fear ever come true?

No thank goodness - and may it never come to pass. The thought of a long, slow drawn out in agony is my greatest fear.

Why do we think of others the most when they’re gone?

Probably because we're berating ourselves for not thinking about them enough when they are alive.

What is your most beloved childhood memory?

Playing with the animals when I was on the farm. I miss having animals. I'll look after anything small. I'm good at it. I miss having a dog.

Today's Song:

(and I promise to not play the God-Awful Western Sydney Giant's theme song after their 80 point drubbing at the hands of Richmond yesterday. It was even more pathetic an effort than what happened with the Crows two years ago.)

I'll go with Nick Cave instead.