try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value

What is your happiest childhood memory?

      playing with my cat, M. She was a Maine coon, tame and very pretty. She lived in the garage, and was inside only when I would sneak her into the house. We played ball on the sidewalk a lot, and she was able to bat the ball back to me most of the time, so I could sit in one place and play for a while. She loved to be on a perch, and would climb ladders or vault herself on top of pretty much anything. She was privy to all my secrets and loved me anyway.  

Do you own your things or do your things own you?

      increasingly, I am oppressed by all the things. Selling, donating, throwing away... all of that has been enormously freeing and positive. 

Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to make new ones?

     ugh. Now is probably not a great time to be asking myself a question like that. Most days, I would choose to keep my old memories rather than accepting the uncertainty of new ones. Today, though, I would gladly burn down my entire past for the possibility of a less painful future.

How do you deal with someone in a position of power who wants you to fail?

      I recognize that it's not all about me, and whatever perception I have that someone else wants me to fail, that's not likely the truth. People in general are a lot less interested in me than I have sometimes believed - and that's all right.

What do you have that you cannot live without?

      it is not the things

When you close your eyes what do you see?

      the squiggly monsters that are attacking my eyes. I've got a viral infection in both eyes that's extremely persistent and annoying the [bleep] out of me. Will not be wearing contacts for another 6 weeks or so, and I'm VERY upset about it! Working out while wearing glasses, when you're not used to it, is disconcerting and frustrating.

What sustains you on a daily basis?

      fear, caffeine, and curiosity

What are your top five personal values?

      self-direction, hedonism, stimulation, power, and security (from this list of twelve, those are my top five)

Why must you love someone enough to let them go? 

     pretty sure that's not the way it's supposed to go. The point is what happens after you let them go. 

Do you ever celebrate the green lights? 

     I do when I'm already in a hurry. Sadly, the rest of the time they fall under my radar.

What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?

      write my novel

 

[from here; the title quotation is Albert Einstein]