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Category Archives: Deep Thought Thursday

(Un)clothed

30 May

looks like me on a summer dayQuestion 132 (from The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock, PhD)
If you went to a beach and it turned out to be a nude beach, would you stay and go swimming? Would you swim nude?

If I were in a new, exotic land and had gone to the beach for a swim only to discover that it was a nude beach, I would probably go ahead and stay for my swim. I would rather keep my swimsuit on (for protection from painful jellyfish stings in sensitive places, you see), but if there was an enforced law that said I could only swim in the nude, then I’d strip down and run for the waves. When in Rome, right?

In reality, I don’t often swim at the beach. I’m more of a long walk, hunt for seashells, read a book, stare at the waves and find my zen kind of gal. I don’t think I’d feel as comfortable doing those things on a nude beach as I would on a traditional beach, whether I myself was clothed or not. As I’ve said before, I’m self-conscious, even on my best days, and in the back of my mind I’d be wondering if other people were looking at me or if they were wondering what I was looking at. From either angle, it’d just be awkward, and would negate the peace, spiritual rejuvenation, and mental cleansing that I seek when I’m at the beach.

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Posts I commented on today:
(In case you missed the reason for this, I participated in the A to Z Blogging Challenge in April, and though I posted every day, I was lousy at visiting and commenting on other participants’ blogs. So for each day in May, I’ve vowed to visit and comment on three posts from the various blogging communities whose members have supported my efforts. At least one post MUST be from a new blog I haven’t yet visited.)

For a Little Fun Without the Work~~Packet Meals (Change Is Good…Right?)  new blog of the day
Reflections of the A-Z April Blog Challenge (Traveling Suitcase)  another new blog for today
Friday Fictioneers 5/31-13 (Musings from the Turnip Patch)  third new blog today!!

 
1 Comment

Posted by on May 30, 2013 in Deep Thought Thursday, On Me

 

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Game

23 May

100_0382-001Question 91*
Would you rather play a game with someone more or less talented than you? Would it matter who was watching?

I’m game for a game any time. I like card games, board games, video games, sports. I’m happy to learn a new game (well, except for chess…I’ve tried and I just can’t seem to wrap my brain around that one) and have been a willing victim when my husband’s various office sports teams were short a few players (did you know inner tube water polo is a real sport?). As a rookie, I don’t always have the skill set required to be successful at these new games–or even some old, familiar ones for that matter–but I enjoy the participation. I play simply for the thrill of playing, so I’m not really picky about the talent level of my teammates or opponents. If it’s a game I’m fond of, like Texas Hold ‘Em or Scrabble, then I like being challenged by someone more talented than I, in hopes that my skills will eventually improve as a result. If I’m trying a new game, like tennis, I want to learn the rules, strategies, and tricks from someone who knows more than I do, although part of me does hope that my mentor will not trounce me too badly during the early lessons. Once I’ve got a handle on the basics, it galls me if someone tries to play down to my level. I can’t learn properly if they won’t bring it on!!

As for who is watching…I’m always self-conscious anyway, whether I’m learning something new or doing something I’ve done a thousand times, so that just really doesn’t matter. I can be just as embarrassed in front of my husband, my friends, or my colleagues as in front of my boss, perfect strangers, or Matthew McConaughey. I don’t enjoy looking a fool, but I’ve learned that it’s part of life and it won’t kill me. Someday, when my mad poker skills launch me to the top slot on the World Poker Tour, all those embarrassing rookie mistakes will make great anecdotes in a best-selling memoir. 😉

*From The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock, PhD.

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Posts I commented on today:
Blue trees (Where’s my backpack?)
Five Sentence Fiction: Charmed (Crazy Flipper Fingers)  new blog of the day
24 May 2013 (Rochelle Wissoff-Fields–Addicted to Purple)

 
1 Comment

Posted by on May 23, 2013 in Deep Thought Thursday, How It Is, On Me, True Life

 

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Trade-off

16 May

100_9884Question 32
Would you accept twenty years of extraordinary happiness and fulfillment if it meant you would die at the end of the period?

At first, I thought my answer to Gregory Stock‘s question was going to be affirmative. I’m 40 years old–when I’m 60, there is a good chance that I will have already outlived my mother and possibly even my husband. I have no children, so I won’t be hoping to live long enough to see graduations, weddings, grandchildren, and the like. If my loved ones are going to be gone by that point anyway, why not trade twenty years of extraordinary happiness for a finite number of days?

But then I thought, “Wait. Life is pretty good right now.” Most days I would say I am happy, and though there are some areas (career) where there is room for improvement, for the most part my life leaves me feeling fulfilled. So what exactly are extraordinary happiness and fulfillment? Are they really that much different from the happiness and fulfillment I have now? (And trust me, it’d be just my luck to agree to the trade-off, then find out what I’ve got and what I think I’m getting are actually the same thing, except now I’ve screwed myself out of the joys of retirement and senior discounts.) Does extraordinary happiness mean never having a day when I feel angry, sad, worried, confused, hurt, or just blah? Does extraordinary fulfillment mean I have everything I’ve ever wanted in every aspect of my life–family, friends, finances, health, work, leisure? Would all of that really be better than what I’ve got now? I mean, if I never felt sadness, how would I know when I’m truly happy? If I already have everything I ever wanted, wouldn’t I lose the joy of pursuing and achieving goals on my own?

So after careful consideration, I don’t think I’d accept only twenty more years of life in exchange for extraordinary happiness and fulfillment. For as long as I’m able, I will continue on as I have been, making the most of each day and seeking fulfillment by working to create my own happiness through whatever opportunities and obstacles life throws my way. Looking back on this decision twenty years from now, with hopefully another couple of decades stretching in front of me, I can’t see how I could have any regrets.

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Posts I commented on today:
About the Project (Jump for Joy! Photo Project)  new blog of the day
15 A Day in the Life (Janice Heck: My Time to Write)
I’m a Bitch, I’m a Lover, I’m a Child… (Rendezvous with Renee)

 
8 Comments

Posted by on May 16, 2013 in Deep Thought Thursday, On Me

 

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Hygiene

09 May

101_3000Question 79
For $20,000 would you go for three months without washing, brushing your teeth, or using deodorant? Assume you could not explain your reasons to anyone, and that there would be no long-term effect on your career.

Ewww. No! Absolutely, unequivocally, without a doubt, no. Not even for ten times that amount. Heck, even the scrungy castaways on Survivor, who are only marooned for 39 days and are playing for $1 million, get to splash around in the ocean and pick their teeth with sticks.

I admit to being a bit of a clean freak. I can’t stand to go 24 hours without a shower (two days of sponge-bathing after knee surgery was torture). My teeth feel fuzzy now, just thinking about not brushing for three months. And the days of going without deodorant without causing offense have long since past.

While I do care what other people think of me, not being able to explain my sudden lack of hygiene would take a back seat to my disgust with myself. Even if I had no career and no other reason to step outside my house in those three months, even if I was guaranteed not to have to be in contact with another living soul, I could not stop bathing, brushing, and deodorizing. I’d be crawling out of my skin in less than a week.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I hear Mr. Bubbles calling me.

Gregory Stock, what on earth were you thinking when you compiled The Book of Questions? Some of these questions are just gross!

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Posts I commented on today:
Benefits of Trimming Your Tomato Plants (Joe’s Musings)
Silly Seagull (Northwest Photographer)
Road Trip (Chalk Outlines)  new blog of the day

 
6 Comments

Posted by on May 9, 2013 in Deep Thought Thursday, How It Is, On Me, True Life

 

Tabs

02 May

102_1385
Question 187
In a nice restaurant, after getting the check for an excellent meal, you notice that you were not charged for one of the items you ate. Would you tell the waitress?

Yes, I’d absolutely tell the waitress. In fact, not too long ago, the hubby and I had dinner at the local pub and our drinks had not been added to the tab. I didn’t realize the omission at first, because the pub owner just tells us the amount due and we never see an actual bill. But by the time he handed over the change for the total he had quoted, my mental calculator had finished tallying what I thought the approximate cost of our meals should have been, and I mentioned that I thought the total had been too low for what we had ordered. He checked, and sure enough, the drinks had not been rung up. As I turned over the cash for the remaining balance, the owner thanked me profusely and repeatedly for my honesty; it had never crossed my mind to walk out knowing I hadn’t paid for something I had consumed.

On the other hand, I would just as quickly tell the waitress if we had been overcharged for our meal. Just a couple weeks ago, we dined at a Mexican restaurant in Amsterdam (if you are looking for good Mexican food, Amsterdam is not the place to get it). Overall, prices in Amsterdam were steeper than we are used to (which is saying a lot, because England isn’t cheap), so I expected the bill to be high. But when the check came, I glanced half-heartedly at the total as I laid down our credit card, and nearly dislocated my shoulder snatching the card back–the bottom line was twice what I had roughly estimated it should have been! Looking closely at the itemized tab, I discovered that the entire meal ordered by the neighboring table had been entered into the register along with our items. While I dream of someday anonymously buying a restaurant meal for a randomly selected stranger/family, the gluttonous couple at the next table did not fit the profile I had envisioned as the beneficiaries of a free meal. We flagged the waitress over and she immediately and profusely apologized when I pointed out the extra charges. With the owner’s help, the bill was corrected and we settled our tab, then walked out into the cold Dutch night vowing not to cross the thresholds of any more Mexican restaurants until we leave Europe.

Now that my mom has returned to the States, I’m back on my normal blogging schedule, which means today is Deep Thought Thursday. Gregory Stock’s The Book of Questions provides the inspiration for this weekly feature. 

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Posts I commented on today:
The Old Fire Hydrant (Cee’s Photography)
Best Beware the Sting (Rendezvous with Renee)
At the House of Bones (Sandra’s Scribbles)  new blog of the day

 
3 Comments

Posted by on May 2, 2013 in Deep Thought Thursday, Observations

 

Plunge

18 Apr

100_6950

Question 128
You are at a lake with some friends; the sun is warm and the water is cold. Going into the water would temporarily chill you but you know that later the warm sun would be even more enjoyable and you would be glad you had gone in. Would you take the plunge?

Uh. No. Been there, done that, not doing it again.

I lived in New Hampshire during my high school days, and went with a friend to Lake Winnipesauke over Memorial Day weekend. Her family went there often in the summer months, so she had local friends who were able to meet us at the lake for the afternoon. The weather was decently warm for New Hampshire in May, but the water was cold. Way cold, in my opinion. Our original plan had been to go water-skiing, but the guys were not able to procure a boat as planned. So the three decided a swim in the lake would be the next best option. I am not a fan of cold water, so I mentioned that I would just sit on the dock and maybe dip a toe in while they had a splash. Well, that plan was quickly vetoed–if one was swimming, we all were swimming. I tried to persuade them to go ahead without me, but the three of them were insistent that I was getting wet. Jump in, just jump, they cajoled. I stood firm in my refusal, but the next thing I knew, one of the guys had hooked me under the arms, the second had my left leg, and quickly coerced my friend into grabbing the other. As they were preparing to start swinging me over the edge of the dock, I managed to scream and wiggle enough to convince them I’d rather go in under my own power than be tossed in, so they set me back on my feet and formed a line behind me to block any chance of retreat. I was even a good sport while they counted, and jumped on command at three. My lungs stopped working as soon as I hit the water.

The three of them jumped in right behind me, laughing and whooping, and by the time we had all surfaced and shaken the water out of our eyes, they did have the good grace to notice that my lips were sapphire blue and I seemed to be gasping unsuccessfully for air. Once again they lined up behind me, this time urging me to swim faster, get out, climb up the ladder. The lack of oxygen to my brain had not stopped me from realizing that the impact with the water had driven my swimsuit as far as it would go up the crack of my backside, and though I feared the very real possibility of an imminent blackout and subsequent drowning, I was NOT climbing up that ladder with a wedgie. While I was wrestling the spandex out of my posterior, they must have thought I was too weak to pull myself up the ladder because suddenly half a dozen hands were fighting for real estate on my butt to push me up onto the dock. I eventually flopped onto the sun-bathed wooden planks with at least half a cheek still exposed, and finally felt the band around my chest loosen enough to drag in a breath of warm May air. My friend wrapped me in a towel, and they all stood dripping and watching me warily as I pinked up again (not sure whether the return of oxygen or embarrassment contributed more). I think I must have scared them witless, for they were pretty subdued the rest of the afternoon, but I never again had to worry about taking a forced swim in a cold lake with that crew!

Nice that I was able to twist today’s random pick from The Book of Questions to fit letter P of the April A to Z Blogging Challenge!

 
2 Comments

Posted by on April 18, 2013 in Challenges, Deep Thought Thursday, How It Was, Memoirs, True Life

 

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Doomsday

04 Apr

100_8641-001Question 31
If you knew there would be a nuclear war in one week, what would you do?

I’d like to ask a follow-up question, please. Is this going to be a targeted attack on a few cities, or an all-out global war? If the plan is just to annihilate a few pre-selected targets, I’d make sure I was as far away from them as possible then spend the week making preparations to shelter in place for the foreseeable future. However, if this is going to be a doomsday, wipe out all of mankind kind of war, then I would grab my husband and we’d spend the week visiting with friends and family, preferably in person, but by telephone or Skype as a last resort. Any loved ones we visited who wanted to join us for the rest of the journey would be welcome–the more the merrier as we try to keep our minds off impending disaster. During the final farewell tour, the car radio’d be turned up loud and the back seat would be a graveyard of empty take-out cartons and junk food wrappers–screw my current 1200-calorie diet plan, I’m stopping at every Chick-fil-A, Ruth’s Chris, Cracker Barrel, 7-Eleven, Chipotle, donut shop, and ice cream stand we pass (if I’m vaporized, no one will notice that I could no longer zip my pants). By the end of the week, I’d make sure we were in a place that we love (there are several that fit the bill, so we might end up picking one out of a hat) and my husband and I’d spend some quiet time on our own. As soon as there was confirmation that the war had begun and that it was as devastating as we’d been led to believe it would be, I’d hug and kiss everyone goodbye, swallow a bottle (or two) of sleeping pills, lay down beside my husband for a last snuggle, and pray that I had peacefully drifted off to a deep and endless sleep before the horrors of the nuclear holocaust reached our little corner of the world.

This has been the latest cheery and uplifting installment of Deep Thought Thursdays, brought to you by the provocative Gregory Stock, PhD, in The Book of Questions.

 
3 Comments

Posted by on April 4, 2013 in Challenges, Deep Thought Thursday, How It Could Be, On Me

 

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