Mystery of life: My responses, Part II

It’s always strange when the shoe gets turned on the other foot. I’m not sure this saying translates all over the world, but the idea is that you’re negotiating with someone and something happens that reverses the situation, putting you in a tough spot.

A few weeks ago, I posed a series of Mystery of Life questions about everyday things that made me pause and think about life’s ups and downs. Blogger LA writing at Waking up on the Wrong Side of 50 picked up on my questions and responded in deep detail. Dale at A Dalectable Life responded as well, but Dale correctly pointed out that I somehow managed to sidestep answering my own questions.

Um, hello, I’m not crazy. I know I asked some tough questions. Ha, ha, but, my guilt got the best of me, so I decided to join the fun too. Yes, the shoe truly is on the other foot.

So here goes.

Image by Brett Sayles by Pexels.

Dreamer Questions:

—When you dream in the middle of the night, what age are you? Are you the age you are now or a younger version of you? When I dream, I’m my age now, but I look amazingly like Brad Pitt and carry myself with a suave, cowboy saunter similar to Kevin Costner portraying John Dutton in the TV show Yellowstone or actor Sam Elliot in every role he’s ever had. Hence, I really hate it when I get woken up.

—When you think back to happy times, what age comes to mind? This is one of the few answers I actually gave in my original post. I tend to be happier now than any other time in my life. Of course, that could be because I’m too old to care anymore.

—Which are you more likely to have: long, vivid dreams or long, vivid nightmares? Oh, I have dreams about rushing to get some paper or homework done. I’m a writer. Of course, I have that nightmare, but most of dreams now are about me saving the day. Yes, you can call me, Bond, James Bond.

Happiness Questions:

—When are you the most content: Before you leave for a trip or when you come home? In my comments, many people wrote that they love coming home. They’re most content after a trip. Oh, I’m the outlier on this one. I love the anticipation before a trip. Yes, I’m excited, but I have a genuine happiness that is hard to duplicate.

—What’s better, indulging on a creamy Chocolate Milkshake or Raspberry Ice Cream Cone or finishing up a hard, sweat-drenched work-out? Oh, I’m going with the Chocolate Milkshake everyday of the week and twice on Sunday.

—What gets you out of bed: excitement about what you’re going to accomplish that day or fear of not getting out of bed and achieving what you want to accomplish? What works best for you — positive or negative reinforcement? Positive reinforcement!

—When you wake up, what’s your first choice of the day: Coffee, Tea, or Water? I haven’t always been a coffee person, but I’m all in now. Show me . . . the coffee.

Image by Adriaan Greyling by Pexels.

Love or like Questions:

—Which would you choose: a billion dollars or an stress-free life? The newest Bugoti or a Toyota Highlander with 15,000 miles that will drive hassle free for another 200,000 miles? A penthouse apartment in the center of New York City or a lake house in the middle of Maine or Wisconsin? A billion dollars because we tend to find stress, the “I can’t drive 65” Bugoti, and, yes, I’m a country boy through and through, give me the lake house.

—Describe the perfect day? What time do you get up? What do you eat? Who do you see? Why is it perfect?  My perfect day is with my family. My kids try to run away from me, but I always love spending time with them. I can’t get enough. We don’t have to be doing much, just get me out of work with my other worries and it’s a perfect day.

—Describe your worst day? What happens? How’s it different from your perfect day? I can sum it up into two activities doing my taxes or prep work to give them to someone else to take care of and being on the phone with an insurance company or someone I don’t want to talk with are the two worst things for me. Just shoot me now.

—If you could do anything and know that it would be a success, what would you do? I answered this one too: I would spend a third of the the year finishing my book. Wanna buy my book? Any takers? Oh, yea, I guess I need a manuscript first. Darn it!

I would spend another third working on a business venture. How about Brian’s Coffee and Ice Cream Emporium?

I would then spend a final third giving back in some way by working as a college professor, high school teacher or volunteer at a needy nonprofit. Anyone need any help? I don’t have a lot of useful skills, but I’m a live body. Now I just need to win the Megamillions or Powerball lotteries.

Image by Pixabay.

Pick your poison questions:

—Which are you choosing: Hate your boss, love your job or love your boss, hate your job? I wrote this one specifically because a great boss makes a world of difference for me. I’ll run through walls for a great boss. With a bad one, it’s hard to get up and go to work in the morning. I’ve had both.

—Getting in the ring against the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Heavyweight Champion or the Heavyweight Boxing Champion? I’m running either way.

—Hang-gliding, bungee jumping, sky-diving, Hawaiian cliff-diving, scuba diving or free climbing? (Can I pick more than one!) I once convinced one of my newspaper editors to pay for me to go bungee jumping or sky-diving and then to write about it. Unfortunately, I got a job offer at another paper the same week and had to leave. I missed out on my opportunity to have my work pay for my fun. I still want to do both.

—Survive for a month on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean or in the Canadian wilderness? I love the beach, but I think I would go crazy on a small island. Have you seen the movie, Castaway!

—Beer, Wine or abstain from both? I have no idea how this question made my list, I think I was trying to ask Beer, Wine or Coffee. In any event, I’d probably pick beer. I’m by no stretch a beer expert, but I’d pick it over wine. Cheers. 

Related bloggers:

• Waking up on the Wrong Side of 50
• A Dalectable Life