if I speak of myself in different ways, that is because I look at myself in different ways

201: Which is better: having lots of friends or 2 or 3 important friends?

"better" is in the eye of the beholder. I couldn't have lots of friends; that requires energy that I don't possess anymore. Other people have wide circles of good friends, which is good for them.

202: What can make commitment difficult? Easy? 

commitment isn't ever easy

204: If a friend treated you badly, but came back to you in a time of need, would you help them? 

it depends on how and why they treated me badly. I believe some things are unforgivable.

206: When was the last time you were inspired by someone? 

I was texting just this morning with the person whose online selling inspired my foray into eBay! It's not the method that they used but the fact that they did it that prompted me. I'm so happy that I started it, because the process is challenging and rewarding, like a strategy game.

207: When was the last time someone crushed your dreams? Do you think they were reasonable? 

I've gotten at least 100, probably closer to 250, rejection letters this year. My "dreams" are crushed pretty often. Hopes, anyway. Yeah, it's reasonable. If they don't want me, I don't want the job.

211: Do you enjoy having people take care of you? 

I don't like being hovered over when I'm sick, preferring to be left alone. I do enjoy being pampered (though I loathe that word). A great foot massage is worth a lot.

213: How do you think you've changed so far, this year? 

I live in a nicer house

215: Is change always for the better? 

clearly not

217: If you hung out with your old friends, would things still be the same? 

it's not the same - it's good in a different way

218: Does love ever disappear? Can you truly stop caring about someone? 

yes, you can stop loving someone. Sometimes it metamorphoses into something milder. Of course, sometimes it rots to the core or implodes altogether.

219: Who puts your heart at ease? 

my bff from the library, who is simultaneously soothing and tartly funny

221: Describe a time in your life when this statement was proven true: "Actions speak louder than words." 

a geranium and a rabbit

222: Has anyone made fun of your hobbies? 

sure, I think that that's pretty common. It's the same as being picked on for liking weird foods or for being a picky eater, for watching what everyone else watches or for being a movie snob, for jumping on the bandwagon or for homer-ism. If you like what you do, that's all that matters.

224: Who is the most honest person you know? Do you respect this trait or are they too hurtful? 

I work with someone who is direct in a way that I envy. She takes no guff.

    One of my dearest friends is honest, occasionally to the point of being brutal. That it is not intentional mitigates the damage a lot, though. Given the alternative—a lie—I'll take the truth, even if it comes with a sting.

225: When talking about the truth, is it best to sugarcoat things or to show it as it is? 

tell the truth, without feeling compelled to include every painful detail. Enough is enough.

226: What have you learned this year? 

that I have a surprisingly high tolerance for shots

 

[from here, adapted and cherry-picked; the title quotation is by Michel de Montaigne, from The Complete Essays]