My Interview

I requested to be "interviewed" by a fellow blogger, and just got my questions today. I was intrigued by this - I wanted to do something different than yammering on about myself, so I chose to have someone else define the yammering. This should be interesting.

1. Where would you live if you could choose anywhere in the world and bring everyone you love with you?

This is tough - I love New York and my family and all the people I love are already here with me. But I adore Paris (please excuse the cliche) as well as Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. The quality of the sunlight there is incredible, and I just felt so at peace during my time there. It helped to have copious amounts of good cheese and bread, and the produce was extraordinary. Since the interview questions didn't say anything about substitutions, I would stay in Brooklyn (though in a fully renovated brownstone instead our apartment) but also have a home in Aix, one big enough for my whole crew.

2. Hardest lesson you've learned in life?

How to let go. Yesterday marked the 7-year anniversary of my father's death. I have worked really hard learning how to put down some of my baggage surrounding this, and it is a challenge for me each day. Its about me knowing that I can be a real, whole person without my daddy physically in my life, and how to give up the anger and disappointment and struggle surrouding his illness and awful death. It has gotten easier, but I know I am miles from settled with this. And it will likely be a lesson that I continue to learn with each decision I make.

3. If you could wake up tomorrow with infinite knowledge on one subject, what subject would that be?

Definitely science. In the broadest sense. Biology, physics, chemistry... all of it. I would like to understand how the world works, how my brain works, and my muscles. How time works. Not so that I could apply it to any real thing that I would do, but just to know. I think that knowing that kind of information fosters a deeper connection to life, or what we perceive as life. Science is way cool.

4. Rather live in a mansion and have it rain every day or a shack and have beautiful weather?

I am all for the shack-and-beautiful-weather. 100%. I am not limited by space. I have lived in small rooms and small apartments. And yes, for those who know me, I was equally unorganized in each space. What is important to me is quality of life - and that means the fullness of your life inside and outside the home. It means cool green grass under your bare feet while the sun warms your skin, as you sit with your true love in the park. It means feeling fresh air wash over you while taking a contemplative walk. It also means less frizzy hair.

5. Most embarrassing moment?

Geez, this is a tough one. I think lots of things are embarrassing but not traumatic enough that they stick with me. I don't have one of those I-was-in-sixth-grade moments that most people do. Mostly, I am embarassed by my failures. I am embarrassed by my inability to control my emotions in public situations. I am embarrassed when I have to explain to someone as I am running out the door that I have panic attacks and that they are very difficult for me to deal with and that I justneedtogetoutofhererightnow. I am not ashamed of these things, but I am embarrassed in the sense of the word's meaning - Webster online defines embarrass as to cause to experience a state of self-conscious distress. I think that many parts of my life are lived in self-conscious distress. The panic, the therapy, the introspection... but most embarrassing of all would be to not overcome this self-consciousness and just live my life.

Want to participate? Here's the dealio:
1. If you want to be interviewed, leave a comment below saying "interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.