20 Questions

During a visit with some dear friends, a particular conversation about what's important in life triggered an idea for creating this webpage as a semi-interactive component to our website. Bill had previously filed away a set of questions which we resuscitated, discussed, and massaged.

We hope that readers of our website will find it amusing and/or stimulating to consider the questions. You are encouraged to forward your responses to questions to us. Please put the word "Website Question Response" in the subject line of the e-mail, and of course in the body of the message indicate the question number(s) for which your are giving a response(s). Please limit the response to each question to no more than 20 words.

Since this page is a work in progress, if you go to a question response and find there none given, it means that responses to this question have not yet been received or compiled. To ensure anonymity, we've edited out any identifying details.

Here are the Questions.

1. If you learned you had only 120 days left to live, how would you spend those days?
2. What is your favorite saying?
3. What is your greatest fear?
4. What historical person do you most admire--and why?
5. What living person do you most admire--and why?
6. On what kind of occasions do you lie?
7. What living person do you most despise--and why?
8. At what time in your life were you the happiest you can remember being?
9. What is your favorite journey so far?
10. What is your most prized possession?
11. What is your greatest talent?
12. Which talent would you most like to have?
13. What words or phrases do you overuse?
14. What is your greatest regret?
15. What do you most like and dislike about your appearance?
16. How do feel right now--ie, what is your current state of mind?
17. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
18. What two people (living or dead) have had the most influence on you? (Name the roles and reasons)
19. What two qualities in people do you most admire and value?
20. What do you think is the most important life question?
    

Here are the Responses

1. If you learned you had only 120 days to live, how would you spend those days?
• In the arms of my husband near or on the sea.
• I'd give away most of my money, figure out what my kids wanted to do with what I had left. I'd put my affairs in order, get my friends family together and plan my end.
• I’d like to see Ireland before I leave this world. Other than that, I’d like to spend my time with the love of my life on board my sailboat sailing off into the sunset.
• I would divide my time up and spend it with my dear ones, rotating between people I love. I'd like them to continue acting as if they didn't know that my time was limited.
• Working and praying to know the will of God in My life so I could be a blessing to others, Just
  like today.
  
2. What is your favorite saying?
• "The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well"
• "Follow your bliss."
• "Assume good intentions."
• "I’m not creating a disturbance, I’m improving the one already in progress"
• "Some people are like Slinkys, not much good for anything but nonetheless amusing when you push them down the stairs."
• "If you're uncomfortable, it must be your move."
• What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve. (Good or Evil)
  
3. What is your greatest fear?
• My husband getting hurt while serving in Afghanistan.
• Losing my ability to make my own decisions, right or wrong.
• The USA is propelling us towards disaster with the other nations of the world, environmentally, with the weapons of mass distruction that it's selling all over the place, and the conflict that it is exacerbating.
• Can't really think of one for myself, though I fear that life is going to be really tough for future generations--at least for a few centuries.
• Being in a disaster, suffering physical pain without relief.
  
4. What historical person do you most admire--and why?
• King Solomon, because of his wisdom.
• Elizabeth I – she was a great ruler in troubled times and managed to fool all of the politicians ALL of the time!
• Jesus, because he is the way to happiness, the truth.
  
5. What living person do you most admire--and why?
• My mother- she taught me kindness, to be positive even in horrid situations, strength, adaptability, love, elegance, beauty...all my positive traits are a gift from my mother
• Coleman Barks and Mary Oliver, because of their poetry.
• Right now, since I just finished the book Maiden Voyage, Tania Aebi is #2 on my list. My cousin, though, is the #1 because she lives her dreams and makes them reality.
  
6. On what kind of occasions would you lie?
• To protect people.
• I would lie to prevent harm to someone, or to protect something precious from defilement. I tell fibs when needed to provide a little social grease.
• Since I have a difficult time REMEMBERING a lie, I try not to do it all that often. BUT, I will use the ‘social lie’ occasionally.
• When I retire at night to sleep (!)
  
7. What living person do you most despise--and why?
• I don't despise anyone, everyone is here to learn from. I despise mean spirited behaviour, behaviour that hurts children (we are all children) etc.
• Sound like a cliché, but my former husband for taking a brilliant mind (his) and drowning it in drugs.
• I find that despising people is hurtful to me, so I try not to.
• The tempter, because I fall at times to the temptation.
  
8. At what time in your life were you the happiest you can remember being?
• Arriving on the surface of the water when diving with my husband in Newfoundland. I looked around at the world and for that second it was perfect.
• I have been happy during most stages of my life, but I would have to say that NOW is the BEST time – despite it not being the smoothest.
• Now.
• The moment that I realize that God's love is great and that I am only alone when I fail to seek his council in my personal life.
  
9. What is your favorite journey so far?
• My marriage.
• Hiking in the English Lake District on a trip with a well known author/poet.
• Through my sixties (which I'm still doing).
• The journey of discovering myself and my potential.
• The journey of Religion and seeking the Truth of Gods purpose for me, the "I am" part of me of the "He is."
  
10. What is your most prized possession?
• My wedding ring.
• The possessions that I have are all prized, but in the larger scheme of things, they are only possessions. My loved ones are the prize!
• Photos of my kids and grandkids and my box of piano music.
• The Love of God and of my fellow humankind.
  
11. What is your greatest talent
• Putting people at ease/ diving.
• Hitting the nail on the head.
• Observation, evaluation, and determination to uphold truth.
  
12. Which talent would you most like to have?
• I would like to be able to sing so people don't cover their ears.
• I'd like to be a better musician
• I wish I could paint better.
• Boldness to be more outspoken when I remain silent.
  
13. What words or phrases do you overuse?
• I could have or I should have (I had to pay a dollar for every time I said it, that helped a bit.)
• I absolutely use ‘Absolutely’ absolutely too much!
• Know what I mean?
• Many, many, many, many....
• "Ya right" , because I hear so many fallacies. or deceptive things.
  
14. What is your greatest regret?
• It's too personal.
• That I didn't learn how to communicate about negative stuff until after my children were grown.
• Not knowing my parents better as people and not just my parents.
• Staying with the LDS (Mormon) Church so long, making the word of God of none among the people.
  
15. What do you most like and dislike about your appearance?
• I like my face and dislike my thighs.
• I like my hands and feet, my face is OK. I don't like my eyebrows, and only like my hair on a good hair day.
• I like my appearance just fine, but I wish there were 20 pounds less of me.
• I am 20 pounds over weight but working on it.
  
16. How do you feel right now--i.e. what is your current state of mind and body?
• Hope and fear.
• Hopeful for my future and frightened of the world situation.
• Frustrated at the lack of love in the world, so much war and misery being caused in the name of Religion.
  
17. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
• Loving my friends without fear of being hurt.
• My network of friends and colleagues, and the good will that represents.
• Not killing someone who truly deserved it.
• Producing and rearing my kids.
• 30 years of marriage, seeing our children having children.
  
18. What two people have had the most influence on you? (Name the roles and reasons.)
• My mother and father, because they determined my outlook on life and men. My teachers, who made me aware of the spiritual dimensions of life and who launched my interest in brain development. My ex-husband, who made me sophisticated and helped me see life as an adventure, and enabled me to become a mother.
• A couple of people with whom I had conflict--it forced me to look at myself, accept my share of responsibility for the conflict, and work on those parts of me that contributed to it.
• God and my parents. Role of teacher and mentor.
  
19. What two qualities in people do you most admire and value?
• Love of life and kindness.
• Big heart, interesting mind, and sense of humor.
• Sense of humor, intelligence and honesty.
• Integrity of one keeping their word. Loving and being loved.


20. What do you think is the most important life question?
• What am I supposed to be doing??
• Who am I?
• Have you told someone that you love them today?
• What am I not noticing?
• What can one do in the name of God to make a better place for all to live, while one dwells in this mortal fleshly body. (Asking God )

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