63. What small, seemingly insignificant decision had a massive impact on your life? they all did. I mean, there's no knowing which of the seemingly insignificant decisions was the one that triggered everything that came later. For instance, when I was a senior in high school, my friend Joel and I used to drive around after school pretty much every day. We rarely took the same road two days in a row, just wandering the hills and valleys until he had to be home. One afternoon we took a turn we'd never been on before, and quickly saw a sign indicating that it led toward my house, albeit in a very roundabout way. I drove on, following the winding road at slightly more than the posted speed. Coming around a tight corner, I had to slam on the brakes to avoid a teenage boy biking up the hill in our lane. Joel told me to pull over, because he knew the kid. He introduced us, and thus I met Blake, the guy with whom I would later lose my virginity.
Am I saying that the decision to drive on that road that afternoon set in motion my entire adult life? That I would not have met Blake in some other way, or that I would not have found some other stereotypically disastrous guy with whom to have a suitably disastrous first time? That the experience of that day (and the other day in question) were so massive that my life would have been vastly different without them?
Yep. That's what I'm saying.
64. Where would you move if you could move anywhere in the world and still find a job and maintain a reasonable standard of living? there is no specific spot that I've been dreaming about living. I like my house and my neighborhood - noisy neighbor notwithstanding. Unless my situation changes (i.e. career), I do not foresee moving within the next couple of years.
65. Would you like to be famous? If yes, how and why? If no, why not? only for something behind the scenes, which is an odd way to be "famous." I mean, like, as an author or photographer - not as a "personality." Why? Because the joy is in the playing.
67. If you lived to be 100, would you rather keep the body or the mind of yourself at 30, until you were 100? please, God, do not let me live to be 100
68. Before you make a call, do you rehearse what you are going to say? not in so many words—but sometimes yes, kind of
69. What are you most grateful for? love, words, and friends
70. What's the most essential part of friendship? there is no word for it, except maybe "chemistry"
71. When was the last time you sang, to yourself or someone else? I was singing today, though not precisely 'to myself.' There was a song playing that I love, so I sang along.
72. If you knew you were going to die in a year, how would that change how you live? I sincerely hope it wouldn't change one damned thing
73. When was the last time you walked for more than an hour? it's not a rare thing
75. What are the best and worst ice cream flavors? I don't eat ice cream very often, so I don't really have a favorite flavor. Whatever is on offer sounds good, usually. I would not go out of my way for some fruit flavors, especially if they are mixed with chocolate.
77. All modesty aside, what are you better that than 90% of people? I have almost perfect recall of some very specific things, and can remember every detail of many conversations that I've had - but don't think that's not a curse, too
[from here; the title quotation is by Peter Reiss, as quoted in Wie Studiert man Chemie? by Paul Krische (1904)]
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