Friday, February 18, 2005

Friday Forum questions

1] Has there ever been a moment in your life that you wish could have LASTED forever? In other words, you would have frozen time at that very second in order to live that moment for eternity? When did it happen, and how did you feel?

Oh geez, so many, I'm sure. Lots of travel moments. Standing on the Pont Neuf at night, gazing down the flood-lit Seine. Just being in the square of Notre Dame on a quiet, gray summer morning. Walking around the Parthenon, or Delphi, or strolling the beach near Olympia.
Lots of AmeriCorps moments come to mind, too. In fact, the whole year. It was so intense, and all of my feelings and reactions were so honest for me at the time, I felt everything so vividly, the good and the bad.
The thrill of graduation is always exciting: high school, college, AmeriCorps (again).
Many of the summer days that I walked near the river when I worked at the mortgage company: Good music streaming through headphones, sunshine toasting my shoulders, the scent of fresh blackberries and woods, the high of endorphins, a pleasantly (temporarily) empty mind.

2] Have you ever finished in LAST place, whether during a race, a contest, a competition, an exam, or something else? How did it make you feel? When a situation like that occurs, do you usually maintain a positive attitude or feel like you have completely failed?

Our high school gymnastics team came in second to last in all three district rankings. I felt happy that we weren't actually last. It didn't bother me too much, we really sucked and everyone knew it.

Other than that, I've always been intelligent enough to be at least in the middle of the pack if not near the front. (Rarely have I ever been in first place, either, though.)

3] Who's the LAST person you talked with on the phone? E-mailed? Received an e-mail from? Hugged? Went out to lunch with? Thought about? Made something for? Made plans with? IMed?

I just talked to/made plans with my friend K. Quasi-friend, lately, or old roommate/ acquaintance. Hm, I got an email from Mz Smlph last night. Hugged? Good lord, who knows. I never get hugs. Fucking singledom. Thought about: ghuh? I think about hundreds of people a day. Made something for: no clue. IMed: teammate Jess.

4] When's the LAST time that you did something nice just for yourself? What was it? How do you usually treat/reward yourself? Do you take time out of each day to do something for yourself? Do you buy yourself a birthday gift or Christmas gift each year?

Lately, my treat to myself has been not working. I mean, taking time to ignore all my schoolwork.
I've been really good about not buying clothes since before Christmas.
I do tend to go to the dollar store and Duane Reade for snacks/junk food way too often that is necessary.
My birthday present to myself was the digital camera: the gift that keeps on giving. Christmas gift: nothing really, I guess. Maybe my nice coat.
So far I've made decisions to take trips; that's a pretty big reward too. Next week Seattle, then Las Vegas in April.

5] What do you think you'll be doing on the LAST day of this month (February 28)? If you could choose a month and have it LAST forever (in other words, it would be July all the time from now on), which month would you choose and why?

Ugh, I know just what I'll be doing: returning to school and teaching after a well-deserved midwinter break. After school, I'm going to be helping present at professional development, for which we will most likely be vastly unprepared.

What month I would choose to have it last forever....that would depend on where I was living. For instance, July is much more pleasant in Washington than it is in New York. I suppose that May is pleasant most everywhere.

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