#BookOfQuestions | the "perfect" evening?

“What would constitute a “perfect” evening for you?”
— Book of Questions, Gregory Stock

I would be alone at my home.

Okay, the dog can be here.

No phone would ring; no texts would come in; no emails would arrive.

I would be able to eat what I wanted without having to later pay for the gluten content. I don’t know whether I would choose a really good pizza or Taco Bell bean burritos. Can I have two “perfect” evenings? Regardless of the main course, I would have a bowl of ice cream later.

I would be able to pursue the vices I have given up. I’d be able to drink. I’d be able to smoke.

That would be pretty much the perfect evening.

Book Of Questions | If you were able to live to the age of 90...

“If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the body or mind of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?”
— Book of Questions, Gregory Stock

I suppose my 53rd birthday is a pretty good time to consider this question.

Over the last couple of years, I have noticed my body aging. It’s more difficult to get down on the ground, and more difficult to get up. I’ve got aches and pains when I get up in the morning. I’ve noticed a reduction in my physical strength. I just can’t lift as much as I once could. It’s harder to open jars than it used to be. And although some of this change can be attributed to being in less than optimal physical shape…

There’s no denying it: I’m aging.

So, how do I answer the question?

I would really like to have that 30 year old body back. And I would continue to enjoy having it until 90. (I promise to take better care of it this time.) And I’m willing to be a senile old man with a 30 year old body. The retirement home will be loads of fun.

Book Of Questions | You are given the power to kill people...

“You are given the power to kill people simply by thinking of their deaths and twice repeating the word “good-bye.” People would die a natural death and no one would suspect you. Are there any situations in which you would use this power?”
— Book of Questions, Gregory Stock

Probably, but everyone I know personally is safe.

At least for the time being.

Book Of Questions | Which sex do you think has it easier...

“Which sex do you think has it easier in our culture? Have you ever wished you were of the opposite sex?”
— Book of Questions, Gregory Stock

The times they are achangin'.

Here comes a big generalization since American society is hardly consistent or homogeneous but we are less patriarchal than at any time in western civilization's recorded history. Women are entrepreneurs, CEOs, scientists, politicians, techies, creatives, warriors, mothers, partners, and wives.

Yes the times are achangin'.

VEERRRRRY SLOOOOOWLY

  • Men still outnumber women in power roles.
  • The wage gap is embarrassing.
  • Some men -- mostly old white men -- still try somewhat successfully to exercise control over women's bodies and reproductive rights.
  • Women are far more likely to be victims of sexual harassment or attack in the workforce and on our college campuses.
  • Single parent homes are more likely to be run by a woman.
  • And don't even get me started on what it must be like to be a woman in some other cultures.

It's easier to be a man. And I've never wanted to trade places.

Book of Questions 9: Would you accept $1,000,000 to leave the country...

“Would you accept $1,000,000 to leave the country and never set foot in it again?”
— Book of Questions

$1,000,000 isn't enough to buy me off to leave the country. But one could perhaps talk me in to doing it for free if I knew that I would be financially stable.

Make sense?

I wouldn't go against my wishes for a mil but immigrating from the USA doesn't scare me either.

Book of Questions 8: Would you rather be a member of a world championship...

“Would you rather be a member of a world championship sports team or be the champion of an individual sport? Which sport would you choose?”
— Book of Questions, Gregory Stock

Roger Federer, BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, CA (March 2014)

Singles tennis champion... preferably the greatest of all time.

Book of Questions 6: You discover that wonderful one-year-old child...

“You discover that wonderful one-year-old child is, because of a mixup at the hospital, not yours. Would you want to exchange the child to try to correct the mistake?”
— Book of Questions

I would not want to make the exchange, but I would feel compelled to do it. There isn't a great solution to this dilemma. I would hope that I would still be able to be involved in some way in the life of the child whom I raised for his first year.

I'd also like to reserve the right to trade back before age 18 if I didn't like my biological kid. (Just kidding.)

Book of Questions 5: If a new medicine were developed...

“If a new medicine were developed that would cure arthritis but cause a fatal reaction in 1 percent of those who took it, would you want it to be released to the public?”
— Book of Questions, Gregory Stock

Yes, though the risk and those odds would need to be carefully explained to the patient who chooses to take the medication. I'm a big believer in choice.