Loose Leaf Notes

There’s an interview meme weaving its way through the blogsphere. It recently landed here. Deana posed the first five questions and Naomi the next five. Q&A as follows:
1. If there was one place that you and Joe could go in this world and explore for a few weeks where would you go? All expenses paid of course…….and why? Joe tells me not to say Hawaii because it’s more touristy than I think. So I say Alaska and he counters with New Zealand. We both agree that as far as this fantasy goes the key word is “explore” and that we are both interested in the wilderness. But then, just this morning I had a conversation with a woman who has a house on the coast of Brittany, France. We talked about doing a woman’s vacation there, hiking a pilgrimage, exploring a nearby castle, taking a train to Paris, and of course there is always the French food (!!). The last time I was briefly in Paris, I was young and poor and walked right past the Louvre. So maybe I’d like to explore France as seen by Renoir and Monet.
2. If they told you tomorrow that you had been banned from writing for one year…no exceptions…how do you think you’d fill that void in your life? This reminds me of the old Twilight Zone episode where a very chatty guy is promised a large amount of money if he can go a year without talking. He wins the bet (but sadly never receives the money) by having his tongue cut off! I can guarantee you that I would not cut off my fingers because I’d need them to express myself in ways other than writing. Since I think with my hands, I suspect I would turn to drawing and doodling. I’d make more collages that include cut out words from magazines. I’d also invest in a good recorder to dictate my thoughts into (although I have tried this before and it didn’t work for me).
3. If every couple in the world could make their own rainbows over their homes for the world to see, colors that swirled and defined who they were individually and together, what colors would be over your home? and why? (choose 5 please). When Joe came to Floyd to be a Blue Mountain School teacher, I was newly divorced and renting a big farmhouse. One of my roommates at the time moved out and Joe needed a place to live, so we were roommates first. One day, not long after he moved in, we were sitting close to each other on the couch when my niece (also a roommate) came in and described this vibrant blue color that she saw above our heads (chemistry meets premonition). Years later we were married and sat for a wedding portrait (photos HERE). The artist, isa maria, painted a bright blue swath of color above our heads, so I’m pretty sure there is a rainbow over Joe and I and our home, one that comes in all shades of blue: royal, lapis, turquoise, indigo, periwinkle, teal (with some shades of purple in the mix).
4. What is the one chance you once had in your lifetime that you honestly regret not taking? why? I wish I had gone to Woodstock. I had friends that went and had planned to go. My reason for not going was a good one, but still, even with all that rain and mud, I regret not seeing Janis Joplin sing before she died and taking part in such a monumental generational event.
5. I have to ask this one of everyone….if you were President of the United States of America what 2 things would you do that you felt would save this country?…(you have complete control here ) …..why? I would create a new system of a gradual transition between outgoing and incoming administrations. I think the outgoing president should help the new president get up to speed and that they both should work together for the good of all for at least six months. I think it’s pretty risky to put so much power in the hands of one man, so I would set up a rotating bipartisan presidential counsel that consisted of women, elders, poets, artists, minorities, and working class people. Presidents would be obliged to consult with the counsel on a regular basis and before making big decisions.
The next five questions were asked by Naomi:
1. If you were told you had six months to live, how would you spend it? I would probably stop the time-consuming discipline of daily blogging. I would write letters to each person I love and tell them how I feel and why. I would stop collecting stuff and start giving stuff away. I would hire a house cleaner and eat out more (only in the best restaurants), so I wouldn’t have to spend so time doing daily chores. I would contemplate what it means to be human, travel to places of beauty, and spend more time at the ocean. I might plan my own death rite of passage. I would spend as little time as possible in a hospital and as much time as possible in the presence of those I love. I would kiss my adult sons like they were children again and make Joe play Scrabble with me.
2. You have been awarded a Fabulous Fantasy Dinner, anywhere in the world that your heart desires and money is no object. Where would it be and please describe in detail the 5 course meal that you would be having, including wines, etc. I’m thinking Italy, some kind of pasta dish with fresh seafood and olive oil, garlic, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil and capers. But, I can’t drink red wine, so what am I doing in Italy? Do they have good white wine? Can I ride on a gondola?
3. The Circus has come to town and you can “perform” in any part of it you would like….What would you choose and why? I love wearing a mask and the freedom I feel when no one knows who I am. At one point in my life I really wanted to be a clown and even had my sister Kathy make me a clown suit. In the spirit of the court jester and the Lakota heyoka, I’d probably be a clown, but not your average Bozo.
4. Sometimes there is a defining moment in one’s life…or what Oprah calls “That Aha! Moment’….what was yours and how did it change the course of your life? As I came to understand (through personal experience and learning about quantum physics) that all of creation is one thing, with each part affecting each other part, I began to take more personal responsibility for the role I was playing in the collective. I realized that Science and Religion are not so at odds with each other and that the main thing that separates the followers of each is semantics. I knew that someone else’s successes would uplift and benefit me, just as my successes would uplift and benefit them. Our tragedies are also ultimately shared. Knowing this has made me more tolerant of others and has increased my capacity to care about them and the world.
5. Have you ever lied to someone you love and then regretted it…? Explain please. No lie that I can think of, but I have at times held back the truth. I’m always disappointed in myself when I’m not brave enough to be completely honest. I believe the truth has a presence that affects us whether we acknowledge it or not. Not speaking the truth when you know it can stifle the life force of all involved. Acknowledging it is a relief, since it’s there affecting us anyways. When we tell the truth it frees us to move on.
For those who want to play:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview Me”.
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your weblog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.