20 Questions, By Layne

I was browsing around random blogs today when i found this guy's survey. It's one well-thought out survey, too: no "What's your favourite colour" type questions here! Always a sucker for a good survey, i nabbed it, and now post it for your filling-out pleasure. If you'd like to see the original post, or share your answers with him (which would be a nice thing to do, since it's his survey) click here
20 Questions, by Layne


Here's my survey. I ask each of you to fill it out and post it either as a comment on this blog or on your own blog.

With one exception, these aren't yes or no questions. Most of them will require thought and introspection. It might not be a fun survey, but I make no apologies. I'm trying to get to know you better.

I'll post my own answers sometime this weekend.

1. Of everything you've ever done in your life, what one accomplishment makes you most proud?

I lost fifty pounds :)

2. If the person you are today could meet the person you'll be ten years from now, do you think the two of you would be friends?

I'd have to say probably not. I'm both advice-giving and advice phobic, and i'm sure Future Me would annoy Present Me to no end, even though i'm well aware that Future Me knows better. I've just always done better with learning from my own mistakes.

3. If calories, carbohydrates, and nutrition were of no consequence, what would you love to eat?

Bread, fruit, ice cream and cheese. I could live on these four items (and, in fact, tried to once, which is why i look the way i do).

4. What is your very earliest memory?

I was living in Germany, in an apartment rented from a German land lord. There was an apple orchard out back, and i really, really wanted to go back there. I thought i had my chance when i saw the land lord leading his grand children out there- i tried to follow them, acting like i was supposed to be there. They saw through my scheme, though, and didn't allow me to tag along. I was very disappointed.

5. Everybody has a silly way to waste time. What's yours?

If i'm at home, i browse blogs. If i'm at work, i walk around and tell everyone their daily horoscopes. If their horoscope is boring, i make stuff up instead.

6. What one incident do you think is most responsible for making you the person you are today?

I left. I will not explain further.

7. Do you believe you've reached your potential in any area of your life? If so, which area?

This is an incredibly difficult thing for me to think about, as most of my life, i've been told that i'm wasting my potential. I've learned on a cerebral level that this is just another way of saying, "You're not doing what i want you to be doing," but emotionally, i still feel i've disappointed those who had expectations of me.

8. If you were President of the United States, and Congress agreed to pass any one law you wanted, what would it be?

I'd like to see a plan for the complete legalization, taxation, and regulation of cannabis. I don't smoke it myself, and probably wouldn't even if it were legal, but i'd like to see the criminal aspect of this disappear. It'd also be a welcome source of income our economy desperately needs.

9. Name the aspect of your character you most wish you could change.

I would have to say my tendency to make situations that have nothing to do with me, all about me. I Know It Isn't All About Me . That should sum it up.

10. Do you believe in fate?

To a point. I think fate brings us opportunities, but it's up to us to seize upon them and make something of them. I don't believe that fate is an enabler of laziness, to avoid taking responsibility for our own happiness.

11. Life never turns out quite the way we plan it. Try to remember who and where and what you thought you were going to be. What's the single biggest difference between your current reality and what you thought would happen?

I've never really been one for planning (hence the whole 'wasting my potential' thing). I never had much in the way of My Life Is Going To Be Just So thinking, so it's hard to say what the difference between my imagined reality and my current one is, as my imagined reality didn't really exist. I can, however, say that i never thought i'd have kids in my life. I never personally had any, but step kids is something i didn't see coming.

12. Some people tell stories. Some people design clothes. Some people paint landscapes. Some people sing. Some people make up survey questions. What's your creative outlet?

I write :) I always wished i could create something tangible, but i'm just not very good at things like that.

13. Does the future hold more promise or fear for you? Why?

I'm not sure. I don't plan much, which staves off fearfulnes to a degree, i suppose. I don't fear that my plans will fall through, at any rate. I guess i fear for the future of my industry at times, for reasons that're far too uninteresting to go into.

14. Please describe an imaginary person who is your exact opposite.

He's tall and confident. He makes friends easily and is well liked immediately by those who meet him. He's comfortable in crowds, and one-on-one. Along with his obvious charisma, he's very shallow and care-free. Though he generally isn't a hurtful person, if he did hurt someone, it wouldn't bother him too much. As easily as he makes friends, someone else would take their place, and he'd forget the injured person before long anyhow. He's also a picky eater.

15. Everyone knows the blockbuster movies, the billboard music hits, and the best selling novels. I want to know the obscure, the overlooked, and the forgotten.

A. Your favorite unknown movie.

I don't know if it's unknown or not, but most people i know have never seen it.

B. Your favorite unknown book.

Again, not sure if it's unknown, but i don't know many who've read it.

C. Your favorite unknown song.

Om, By The Moody Blues

16. Please tell me about the best day you've ever had.

I've had a lot of REALLY good days, so i'll just pick one of them.
I was wearing a white dress, walking down a narrow aisle with my dad. At the end of it, the most wonderful man in the world was waiting for me, smiling, and sweating because it was hot in there. I passed from my dad's side to His side, knowing that i had found my place in life. I felt my soul click with his, and i felt the life flowing into a part of me that hadn't realized i was missing. And i was happy.

17. What foreign culture interests you the most?

Indian culture (not to be confused with Native American culture) is incredibly interesting to me. The religions, the food, the dress. . . It's all so exotic and beautiful to me.

18. How much of who you are is because of the decisions you've made, and how much is a result of circumstances you did not control?

I'd say an equal mix of both. After all, a lot of my decisions have arisen as a response to circumstances beyond my control, and many of the circumstances i could not control were generated as a result of decisions i made.

19. What's life about, anyway?

I think it's different things for different people. For me, it's about being happy as much of the time as i possibly can, and being with people who make me happy (whom i can, in turn create happiness for). It's like the opposite of a vicious cycle.

20. What's your country's greatest gift to the rest of the world?

Refrigeration.