each of us, when our day's work is done, must seek our ideal, whether it be love or pinochle or lobster à la Newburg, or the sweet silence of the musty bookshelves

from 101 Questions 

 

81. Who are the 5 people you spend the most time with? [According to the tagged article, each of us is an amalgam of the five people with whom we spend the most time.]

    D, my college bff, my mom and dad (they are a unit), my coworker Becky, and the cop

82. Are these people encouraging you or holding you back? 

    they are positive influences, though each has varying degrees of negatives as well. Everyone does.

83. What qualities do you want to embody? Where can you meet people who embody these qualities? 

    I suppose I would need to start by leaving the house occasionally? I'm not actually all that concerned about needing to meet people after whom I need to model my behavior or whose qualities I wish to embody. It's not like I don't know that there is a right thing to do, and that sometimes I don't do it.

84. Who inspires you the most? 

    my grade school best friend is in treatment for cancer. She's low-key strong and upbeat.

85. How can you be like them? 

    I can keep my dramas in perspective, keep breathing, and keep writing

86. What is your ideal life partner like? 

    imaginary

87. Where can you find him/her? 

    where one's ideals ought to live—in my imagination

88. How can you get to know him/her? 

    what if I already do

89. Are you afraid of letting others get close to you? 

    'afraid' is not the term that I would use

91. Who is/are the most important person(s) to you in the world? 

    start with the answer to #81, above, and add The Intern and my brother

92. Are you giving them the attention you want to give? 

    to the extent that I can under current conditions, yes

94. What kind of person do you enjoy spending time with? 

    smart, funny, generous, curious, creative

95. How can you be this person to others? 

    I think I mostly am? With the possible exception of "funny."

96. What do you want to be like in 1 year? 

    wealthy, superfit, and working a job that I like

97. … 3 years? 

    wealthy, superfit, happy in my job, with my car paid off

98. … 5 years?

    wealthy, superfit, content in my job, with my car paid off and some extraordinary vacation memories

99. … 10 years? 

    wealthy, superfit, with my car paid off and some extraordinary vacation memories, and recollections of the great job from which I retired at the top of my game

100. Who are your mentors in life? (formal or informal) 

    Sue, Fluffy, and D

 

[from here; the title quotation is by O. Henry, from The Gentle Grafter: The Trimmed Lamp]