My dear friend Pearson posted a Proust questionnaire and urged her readers to take it for themselves.
At first I didn't relish the idea. Seemed a little silly to me. Why should I answer questions about myself...to myself. So I brushed it off until today. I'm not sure why I thought of it again this morning, perhaps the scrolling of the blog list while looking for new posts spurred it but whatever the cause I suddenly have an urge to take the test, the questionnaire, the survey....the thing!
If you're wondering what a Proust is the click HERE for a brief description.
Maybe this will lead me to a greater understanding of who I am and what I aspire to in life. Probably not but sometimes when you put your thoughts into words they have a tendency to come to life. To grow and breathe and become creatures of their own. There is a hero and a boogeyman in all of us!
Here they are!
----------------------
#1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A cozy cabin in the middle of the woods.Inside a fire crackles on the hearth and the faint smell of woodsmoke and strong coffee floats in the sir. Outside the leaves are turning colors and the crisp fall air tickles my nose. My family lives nearby and I see them often as they visit to roam my several hundred acres.
#2 What is your greatest fear?
That something bad will happen to my family. I don't even like writing that down. Knocking on wood like crazy now!
#3 What is a trait you most deplore in yourself?
I am impatient. Not so much like 'waiting in line' impatient but more like 'I want it now' impatient when it comes to goals, dreams and projects.
#4 What is a trait you most deplore in others?
Laziness. Nuff said!
#5 Which living person do you most admire?
Tom Orr from the TV series Mountain Men. He lives in the mountains of Montana. A simple life of hunting and trapping. He lives with his wife and dog and they are close to nature and each other. I would love to be in his shoes (or snowshoes) but be my age!
#6 What is your greatest extravagance?
Having a wife who understands my quirks and lets me do almost anything I want. She understands my spirit and what it takes to keep it alive! Not many people have that.
#7 What is your current state of mind?
Busy! I am project oriented. Always looking to tackle the next thing. (some call it ADD)
#8 What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
By definition a virtue is a quality or practice of moral excellence. I suppose as long as your morals are in the right place then it is hard to be overrated. I tend to think people take religion too far and then not back it up.
#9 On what occasion do you lie?
Only when I'm alone or with somebody. LOL. I don't lie. That's asking for trouble. If I have to lie then I'm in trouble.
#10 What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I'm ok with most of it. It is me ya know! I do have a discolored tooth that was damaged as a kid when I smashed it on the concrete coping of a swimming pool. It is kinda grey and keeps me from a full smile. I'm just too cheap to get it fixed!
#11 Which living person do you most despise?
I despise the lowlife, lazy people who would rather sit at home and collect welfare then go out and get a job. Surviving off the government on purpose not because they are down on their luck. Those programs are meant to help people who need it. Not to give to lazy folks who won't get off their ass.
#12 What is the quality you most like in a man?
Responsible
#13 What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Self sufficient
#14 Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Not really sure on that one. I'm sure it's an adverb of sort but this question would be better answered by someone else! I'm sure my wife could tell you!
#15 What or who is the greatest love of your life?
That would be my wife. There's a connection we have unlike no other. Only we can see it! It's magic.
#16 When and where were you the happiest?
I've been happy many times. Too many to count, which makes me pretty lucky. I would say my favorite place to be is up at deer camp.
#17 Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I could sing. I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.
#18 If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
I would have went to college after high school and I wouldn't have run over that bees nest in the ground with the lawnmower!
#19 What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Still working on that one! I haven't really done anything that great...yet!
#20 If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing what would it be?
If it were up to me I would like to come back as a bird. Soaring high and free.
If it was dependent on my life then I would probably come back as the guy who scrapes gum off the bottom of the park benches and eats it.
#21 Where would you most like to live?
In the forested mountains
#22 What is your most treasured possession?
Inanimate-House and property
Animate-My dogs!
#23 What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Losing my two children.
#24 What is your favorite occupation?
That I have done? Landscaping/Owner
That I would like? Writer
#25 What is your most marked characteristic?
My quirkiness. I make people laugh.
#26 What do you most value in your friends?
Honesty. I like you for who you are not who you think you need to be.
#27 Who are your favorite writers?
Stephen King and Robert McCammon
#28 Who is your hero of fiction?
Forest Gump. Was there ever a character with a purer heart?
#29 Which historical figure do you most identify with?
John Muir
#30 Who are your heroes in real life?
All the people who get up everyday and bust their butts to make a better life for themselves and those who raise their children to be the best they can be. It is a dwindling lot, sadly.
#31 What are your favorite names?
Corwin and Isabella
#32 What is it that you most dislike?
Racoons when they get into my sweetcorn!!!!!!!
#33 How would you like to die?
Seriously is this a real question? I don't want to die! If I had to choose then I would want to die just as I pulled the trigger on the biggest buck of a lifetime.
#34 What is your motto?
You can sleep when you're dead!
Whew! That's a lot of questions. Now if you plug these all into the magic machine on Facebook it will tell you that........
I am an introvert similar to the uni-bomber who has a natural tendency to run naked through the woods hollering "Save the trees". I should not talk to people in public and I am not in favor of the Democratic party. My life would be better spent in a buddhist monastery high in the mountains of Nepal. Oh, and I like dogs!
My Chinese food fortune cookie would say #7. Oh wait I have to flip it over. There we go. It says," You are very lucky to be alive, quit being an idiot".
My horoscope would read:
Today is the day you sit on the couch typing nonsense for three hours before attempting to do your chores which after two hours you will become bored and inevitably start searching for the beer cooler.
Look towards the dog for happiness and stay away from the rooster because he is being cocky today!
Do you dare fill out the Proust yourself? Self discovery can be fun and disappointing at the same time!
I'm gonna go paint my tooth,
-Bushman
At first I didn't relish the idea. Seemed a little silly to me. Why should I answer questions about myself...to myself. So I brushed it off until today. I'm not sure why I thought of it again this morning, perhaps the scrolling of the blog list while looking for new posts spurred it but whatever the cause I suddenly have an urge to take the test, the questionnaire, the survey....the thing!
If you're wondering what a Proust is the click HERE for a brief description.
Maybe this will lead me to a greater understanding of who I am and what I aspire to in life. Probably not but sometimes when you put your thoughts into words they have a tendency to come to life. To grow and breathe and become creatures of their own. There is a hero and a boogeyman in all of us!
Here they are!
----------------------
#1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A cozy cabin in the middle of the woods.Inside a fire crackles on the hearth and the faint smell of woodsmoke and strong coffee floats in the sir. Outside the leaves are turning colors and the crisp fall air tickles my nose. My family lives nearby and I see them often as they visit to roam my several hundred acres.
#2 What is your greatest fear?
That something bad will happen to my family. I don't even like writing that down. Knocking on wood like crazy now!
#3 What is a trait you most deplore in yourself?
I am impatient. Not so much like 'waiting in line' impatient but more like 'I want it now' impatient when it comes to goals, dreams and projects.
#4 What is a trait you most deplore in others?
Laziness. Nuff said!
#5 Which living person do you most admire?
Tom Orr from the TV series Mountain Men. He lives in the mountains of Montana. A simple life of hunting and trapping. He lives with his wife and dog and they are close to nature and each other. I would love to be in his shoes (or snowshoes) but be my age!
#6 What is your greatest extravagance?
Having a wife who understands my quirks and lets me do almost anything I want. She understands my spirit and what it takes to keep it alive! Not many people have that.
#7 What is your current state of mind?
Busy! I am project oriented. Always looking to tackle the next thing. (some call it ADD)
#8 What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
By definition a virtue is a quality or practice of moral excellence. I suppose as long as your morals are in the right place then it is hard to be overrated. I tend to think people take religion too far and then not back it up.
#9 On what occasion do you lie?
Only when I'm alone or with somebody. LOL. I don't lie. That's asking for trouble. If I have to lie then I'm in trouble.
#10 What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I'm ok with most of it. It is me ya know! I do have a discolored tooth that was damaged as a kid when I smashed it on the concrete coping of a swimming pool. It is kinda grey and keeps me from a full smile. I'm just too cheap to get it fixed!
#11 Which living person do you most despise?
I despise the lowlife, lazy people who would rather sit at home and collect welfare then go out and get a job. Surviving off the government on purpose not because they are down on their luck. Those programs are meant to help people who need it. Not to give to lazy folks who won't get off their ass.
#12 What is the quality you most like in a man?
Responsible
#13 What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Self sufficient
#14 Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Not really sure on that one. I'm sure it's an adverb of sort but this question would be better answered by someone else! I'm sure my wife could tell you!
#15 What or who is the greatest love of your life?
That would be my wife. There's a connection we have unlike no other. Only we can see it! It's magic.
#16 When and where were you the happiest?
I've been happy many times. Too many to count, which makes me pretty lucky. I would say my favorite place to be is up at deer camp.
#17 Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I could sing. I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.
#18 If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
I would have went to college after high school and I wouldn't have run over that bees nest in the ground with the lawnmower!
#19 What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Still working on that one! I haven't really done anything that great...yet!
#20 If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing what would it be?
If it were up to me I would like to come back as a bird. Soaring high and free.
If it was dependent on my life then I would probably come back as the guy who scrapes gum off the bottom of the park benches and eats it.
#21 Where would you most like to live?
In the forested mountains
#22 What is your most treasured possession?
Inanimate-House and property
Animate-My dogs!
#23 What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Losing my two children.
#24 What is your favorite occupation?
That I have done? Landscaping/Owner
That I would like? Writer
#25 What is your most marked characteristic?
My quirkiness. I make people laugh.
#26 What do you most value in your friends?
Honesty. I like you for who you are not who you think you need to be.
#27 Who are your favorite writers?
Stephen King and Robert McCammon
#28 Who is your hero of fiction?
Forest Gump. Was there ever a character with a purer heart?
#29 Which historical figure do you most identify with?
John Muir
#30 Who are your heroes in real life?
All the people who get up everyday and bust their butts to make a better life for themselves and those who raise their children to be the best they can be. It is a dwindling lot, sadly.
#31 What are your favorite names?
Corwin and Isabella
#32 What is it that you most dislike?
Racoons when they get into my sweetcorn!!!!!!!
#33 How would you like to die?
Seriously is this a real question? I don't want to die! If I had to choose then I would want to die just as I pulled the trigger on the biggest buck of a lifetime.
#34 What is your motto?
You can sleep when you're dead!
Whew! That's a lot of questions. Now if you plug these all into the magic machine on Facebook it will tell you that........
I am an introvert similar to the uni-bomber who has a natural tendency to run naked through the woods hollering "Save the trees". I should not talk to people in public and I am not in favor of the Democratic party. My life would be better spent in a buddhist monastery high in the mountains of Nepal. Oh, and I like dogs!
My Chinese food fortune cookie would say #7. Oh wait I have to flip it over. There we go. It says," You are very lucky to be alive, quit being an idiot".
My horoscope would read:
Today is the day you sit on the couch typing nonsense for three hours before attempting to do your chores which after two hours you will become bored and inevitably start searching for the beer cooler.
Look towards the dog for happiness and stay away from the rooster because he is being cocky today!
Do you dare fill out the Proust yourself? Self discovery can be fun and disappointing at the same time!
I'm gonna go paint my tooth,
-Bushman
Well done, Bushman - see, you didn't have to go changing yourself to be a better person (told ya!).
ReplyDeleteYour answers have indeed been insightful - I've learned a few more things about you. #5 made me smile - we are blessed when another person adds to our existence, as your wife does to yours.
I'm glad you went ahead and tried this - it's true, we get a little better understanding of ourselves in the process. For me, writing down that I procrastinate was like a hit to the head… I went right out and de-junked my yard, and got the ball rolling on finishing my house renovations. See… it was a good thing, right!! :) :)