What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness?
1 – my dogs
2 – making someone genuinely smile.
3 – writing
4 – the laughter of a baby
5 – cracking/stretching my back
Category: Random
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Describe something you learned in high school.
Something I learned in high school… trig proofs.
Something I learned outside of school while in high school…i have no idea. Life is the pinnacle of teachers. Effective even if the lessons start early.
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This is a saying that you hear all the time, and i take slight issue with it and want to clarify how this works for me.
Physically, i haven’t felt my age in quite a while. My body feels much older than my physical age, because it has…. electrical and resulting functional issues. My mind, on the other hand, doesn’t. (knock on wood!) It is young, vibrant and curious. I had a conversation with someone at work about this today, and it has reignited my curiosity about this whole thing.
it seems that whatever age you see yourself as/feel like in your mind has some sort of significance (research ongoing with this), be that life stability, sobriety, major life events or whatever the case may be. My first thought on this was that once this mental image of yourself is set, it doesn’t change, but I’ve realized that that’s not the case. i’ve been thinking a lot about this today, and for a long time, i was probably about 17 in my mind. Later, that shifted to 24. Perhaps even later in life, it will shift again. I don’t know, but i plan to ask more people and continue my research.
and to be clear, this has nothing to do with maturity, intelligence, or responsibility or anything of the sort. I think it has more to do with outlook, how you see and approach the world, and life. And how you see yourself relative to the world and the people in it.
I have to wonder if other people think about this kinda shit without being prompted, and if so, what do they see in their mind’s eye? and how has it changed as they’ve gotten older? So many questions… i need a name plate that says “Laura – Asker of Questions”…
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What’s something most people don’t understand?
Themselves.
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I’m working on something, and came across something i wrote almost 20 years ago, and i was talking about how life’s ultimate destination is death and humanity’s ultimate desire is survival. I went on to talk about the two choices in any struggle that life throws at you – give up, or fight.
I was thinking last night – I have seen both sides of this coin firsthand. I have seen people fight with every single ounce of strength that they have, and even some they didn’t even realize they had. I have seen people give up and simply spend their time waiting for the inevitable, doing next to nothing to improve their situation in the meantime. The results are or will be the same – we all die. Some would argue that that simple fact begs the question, “so what’s the point in fighting?”
To me, the point in fighting is to not accept defeat. To live your life on your terms in spite of anything that life is going to throw your way. Life is hard, no matter who you are. It’s confusing and complicated and difficult and uncertain and scary as hell. But, if you give up, the only thing that really goes away is the uncertainty. If you give up, give in, roll over and wait for death to come for you, the only thing you get out of that is likely its hastened arrival. Or, a lifeless existence perpetuated my minimal yet meaningless effort. If, on the other hand, you fight tooth and nail for what you want, you will gain knowledge, experiences and perspective that you never had before. And, you get to fill your time with something other than thinking about how much life sucks.
I, for one, am all for the fight. Yes, it’s draining. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, we all eventually ‘lose’ in the end. But in my eyes, the hardest of hard is a hundred billion times better than not even trying.
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Why is everything about blame? Seriously. Fix the fucking problem, and then use an appropriate amount of energy to figure out the cause (if possible), then mitigate or remove it, and move the fuck on. it really is pretty fucking simple.
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Who was your most influential teacher? Why?
I love this question, and as usual, i have more than one answer!
Academically speaking? My physics professor in college – Dr. C. He inspired me to learn about string theory and particle physics, which has since turned into a lifelong thing.
Professionally speaking? My mentor, who I’ve written about before. I have learned so many things from him and because of him and have grown immensely as a result.
Personally speaking? My father. I won’t even start about how that man influenced my outlook, my work ethic, my behavior towards others, and my curiosity about the world. I’d be writing for days.
Generally speaking? Life – and living it. the good, the bad, the unremarkable – it all has the potential to teach us something. And I am starting to realize that may be the goal here. To learn as much as possible in the incredibly short time that we are here.
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I have been asked any number of times if there is something i collect. My answers are usually, “not really” or “travel cups”. i don’t know that i have ever answered truthfully. But only because i didn’t realize it myself….
Granted, the goal is to fill them, but the fact remains:
I collect notebooks.
I have big ones, medium ones, small ones. Hard cover, soft cover, sans cover. i have a hand bound leather notebook (journal).
I have had favorite notebooks, i have had notebooks that i wanted to love, but couldn’t stand using….
This collection will never go for millions at a “notebook collector’s auction”, but it, and the pieces of me that decorate the pages, are priceless.
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What is one word that describes you?
Kind.
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What was the best compliment you’ve received?
Someone told me once that i was “intriguing and enigmatic”, and I always smile when i remember that.
A Peculiar Cerebral Tangle 