What I am is what I am...are you what you are, or what?

1. Is it difficult for you to look into someone's eyes when you are talking to them?
I don't know how to not look someone in the eye. That would be odd for me. I've always been a very straight forward kind of person, and you can't connect to anyone if you don't look them in the eye. I generally don't trust someone if they are shifty eyed -- though sometimes it's just a lack of confidence rather than a character issue; but that’s where a judgment call comes in. Even when I do public speaking, I make eye contact with people in the audience. I'm definitely a "warm fuzzy" kind of person when it comes to interacting with others.


2. You are on a flight from Honolulu to Chicago non-stop. There is a fire in the back of the plane. You get enough time to make ONE phone call. Who would you call?
Oh, why are these thought provoking questions always so dark? First, let me preface this by saying I hope I never have to think about this in real life! Depends on who I'm travelling with... if I'm alone, it's G. If not, then I guess my Mother. But I wouldn't want her to worry because me being the eternal optimist would be convinced that we can make an emergency landing somewhere. Then it would be "no harm no foul". No need to get everyone all worked up over nothing.

3. You have to choose between your significant other and your best friend, who do you choose?
Why would I ever have to choose? Should be a complete and total non-issue. I'm not 16. And even then – I’d never make that kind of a choice. That’s just silliness.

4.You are at the doctor's office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live..
(A) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die?
No. I don’t know. I’d tell everyone that is in my immediate circle…but I wouldn’t tell everyone I know because, you know – Ms. Eternal Optomist would be hoping/praying/believing that they were wrong and that I can overcome anything if I just put my mind to it. Besides, I don’t like people being fake, and I wouldn’t want someone being nice just because they felt that they “had to”. Not that I encounter many not nice people, but there are some in my “immediate vicinity” who aren’t always kind – I wouldn’t want them to suddenly “kill me with kindness” (no pun intended) because they think they need to in order to be a “good person”. Insincerity irritates me.

(B) What do you do with your remaining days?
Living. Laughing. Loving. Sounds corny, but seriously – what else matters?


(C) Would you be afraid?
Yes, a little. I wouldn’t’ want to be uncomfortable – nor would I want my kids to see me unhealthy. But I’d definitely be opportunistic. :)

5. You can have one of the following two things: trust or love?
I can't have one without the other, and I refuse to compromise. If I love you – I trust you. I don’t believe that it can truly be love if you can't trust the person. But…I think trust can exist independent of love, though. I trust people that I don’t have affection for.

6. You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?
First of all, I’d never be in that situation. But I’m pretending, right? Okay… I’d gladly accept the firing. If my boss that was much of a jerk to discontinue my services because I stopped to save a helpless creature – he/she is so not someone I’d want to associate with anyway.

7. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Only one place, huh? Italy.

8. Think of the last person who you really knew that died. You have the chance to give them 1 hour of life back, but you have to give one year of your life. Is it okay for you?
In a heartbeat.

9. Are you the kind of person that you would want to have as a friend?
I am. Except for the fact that I tend to withdraw and keep to myself when I’m going through “stuff”. I’m a great listener, great helper – but don’t accept/need/want assistance from anyone when I’m struggling with something, so I prefer to keep to myself. I’ll sort of not be involved socially with things when I’m not happy with how things are going. That’s a little unfair I think… but, hey – I’m a Virgo. What can you do.

10. Does love = sex?
I think for many, the answer is no. But for just as many, the answer is yes. Some people don’t feel loved unless they’re physically intimate.
For me it’s no. I don’t need physical intimacy for someone to show me they love me.
There are many other ways for me to know that I’m loved, physically is just one way.

11. One of your best friend dies, what would you do?
Be quiet. Take it all in – and then try to help their family out as best I can.

12. When was the last time you told someone HONESTLY how you felt?
When don’t I? I’m not a game player. There is no “reading between the lines” with me.
Except in my blog occasionally….but that’s because I’m not directly addressing anyone.

13. What would be harder for you, to tell someone you love them or that you hate them?
Neither. It is what it is. I’ve never truly hated anyone….though I’ve been really pissed off to the point that I am disgusted. But truly hate? I don’t know if I have that in me.

14. What do you think would be the last thing for you to give up on?
Myself.

15. Excluding romantic love, when was the last time you told someone you love them?
My kids. Multiple times daily. My pets, always. My immediate family (e.g. parents, sister) – not that often actually. But as much as my Mother would say “I love you”, it wasn’t to the same extreme of frequency that I do it with my kids, so it’s not that big of a deal I don’t think.

16. If you had to go back in time and change one thing, what would you do?
I don’t know. I’m glad of where I am in life; I don’t have any regrets…if I changed even one thing – I wouldn’t be who I am today. And I like my life. Sure, there are things about it that I’m not always happy with but that’s life in general. We don’t always love our job, etc… but that’s all fluid, and can change at any time. Everything is temporary…..

17. Imagine. It is a dark night, you are alone, it is raining outside, you hear a noise. What do you do?
Try to go to sleep anyway. Plus, I always have a dog. They’re the BEST alarm system!

18. Would you give a stranger CPR if they were dying?
Absolutely!

19. Are you old-fashioned?
It depends on what you’re talking about. That’s really too broad of a question. In some ways I am – others not so much.

20. Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heartbreak or to never have love?
It is better to have loved and lost – than never to have loved at all. Cliché, but I believe it.