1. Children have so many dreams. Small ones, large ones. They dream of being astronauts, of becoming a princess or a queen or even a king. As we grew older, our dreams became the shape our futures would take. So my first question is when you were young what did you envision your future to be? And as a follow up, how does it compare to where you eventually arrived?
As a little kid, the first two professions I decided on were author and music conductor. At the same time. Interestingly, that says a lot about who I am beyond the fact that I’ve been a musician for almost 25 years and I love to write. You see, I love everything. I want to write, I want to play music, I want to play sports, I want to socialize, I want to climb the top of the business mountain, I want to hide in the woods and live of the land....I’m a dreamer. But I’m also practical. So knowing I can’t be all of those things at once, and knowing I could never choose just one and be satisfied, I live in a combination world where some things I do a little bit of all the time, and other things that are more time consuming are in a two-three year rotation. And I think I can safely say that I’m living out many of my life’s dreams, in small doses, and perhaps one day will have a bit more flexibility to enjoy them on a larger scale.
2. I sometimes fantasize about being able to travel back in time, but not in my current mid-forties body. I wonder what it would be like to become who I was in high school or college but with the knowledge and patience I’ve gained in the years since. Second question…if you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again?
Go back and alter the course of my life, eh? That’s a tough call. I’ve thought about this one a lot, and the part of me that appreciates the life shaping, personality altering events that have made me who I am today, squirms at the idea of going back and changing something that might remove some of those events. Make sense? That being said - if I could go back to a time, and relive just that era and return to today without any impact to my present self, it would be college. I only spent three and a half years in college, and for as much as I did while I was there, I still feel like there were a lot of other experiences I didn’t have time for. Places I wanted to go, classes I wanted to take, different social circles I wanted to explore. College is such an amazing time of growth, learning and personal exploration. Would be nice to have a few more years of that.
The one trait I would take back would be now would be assertiveness. That’s not to say I wasn’t assertive before, but there’s definitely a different layer of “comfortable in my own skin” that I have now that I didn’t have before. And I think that is what would have helped me push myself into some new experiences.
3. As a writer, I started off as a reader. I began reading book after book when I was probably around 8 or 9. For me, initially it was mysteries then science fiction. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time?
Definitely a reader. Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators...what a fun series. Agatha Christie mysteries...but only the ones with Poirot. E.B. White and Judy Bloom had great books to read for that age. Anastasia Krupnik...what an oddly fun character she was. Ogden Nash...now there’s a poet a nine year old can rally behind! There were tons more, but those are the ones that stand out the most.
4. Back to the scenario in the first question…I’m wondering if there are any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve? What are they?
Writing. Music. Sports. Family. Friends. (Not necessarily in that order!) These are ongoing dreams that, as I mentioned, run in an endless loop. I keep chasing them down in different ways and discovering new things. So they are all a work in progress. Though I suppose career ambitions will probably start to play in there as I get deeper into my 30’s.
5. There are many books in my life that have meant something to me. Books and stories that have stayed with me over the years. Some make me smile, some make me think, some even make me mad. The final question…please share a book that has meant something to you, and tells why.
I am the same way – if it is a meaningful book, it will stick with me whether I read it once or multiple times. The book I’ll share may be a bit of a departure from what you might expect when someone answers a “pick one book” question. Shel Silverstein is a very creative story teller. Anyone who has grown up with his books knows exactly what I am talking about. But until about seven years ago, I had never heard of “The Missing Piece Meets the Big O”.
Timing has a lot to do with how well a book sticks. And my friend knew exactly when to share this one with me. If you have ever been young (late teens, early 20’s) and in love, and you aren’t sure if you are in the relationship because of the person you are with or because you just want to be in a relationship, read this book. It will speak volumes in just fifty pages of two lines per page. Lift...pull...flop.
Showing posts with label youth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label youth. Show all posts
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
PETER WARING: Dreams, Youth and Possibilities
1. When you were young what did you envision your future to be? And as a follow up, how does it compare to where you eventually arrived?
Strangely, I always thought that I would end up in politics or working as an actor. The cynical might suggest that there are few differences between these occupations! When I was a kid, I wrote several ‘audio’ plays and recorded these as well as wrote and acted in school plays. I was also school captain at primary and later high school and liked the idea of having some kind of leadership position in the future. Instead I became an academic and lawyer which probably compares poorly with any grandiose dreams I had. Though lecturing and appearing in court is essentially ‘stage work’ but often without an appreciative audience!
2. If you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again?
There were two golden ages - when I was between 10-12 years old and 18 to 22 years old. Between 10 and 12 my childhood was in full swing and I lived to play with neighbourhood friends in our make-believe worlds. The second, between, 18 to 22, was my first time at University which I did not treat too seriously but had a wonderful time with a good group of friends. Both golden ages were carefree and characterised by little money but an amazing sense of freedom and optimism. Do I feel this way now? Somewhat but I also have many more responsibilities.
The one bit of knowledge I would take? Perhaps to be less risk-averse and be willing to consider different possibilities for my life.
3. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time?
The anecdote my Mother still tells of my childhood is of me being so obsessed with books that I would read in the shower. I would prop the book up outside the glass shower screen so that I could peer at the pages through the glass!
I read initially Enid Blyton (The Famous Five), Hardy Boys books, The Wind in the Willows, JR Tolkien (Hobbit, Lord of the Rings) and then Robert Ludlum, James Clavell etc. I was lucky that I developed a passion for reading at early age which has served me well throughout my life.
4. I’m wondering if there are any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve?
I’ve given up the prospect of becoming the Australian Test Cricket Captain but I would love to write a comedy/sit-com or film script.
5. Please share a book that has meant something to you, and tell us why.
There have been so many but James Clavell’s ‘King Rat’ – a story of POWS in a WW2 prison (Changi) in Singapore is a remarkable tale of the power and resiliency of the human spirit in extreme and oppressive circumstances. I still read it every few years or so. The second is ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ which holds special significance since I my son’s middle name ‘Atticus’ comes from one of the main characters of this book – a quietly proud, rational lawyer of great personal courage.
Strangely, I always thought that I would end up in politics or working as an actor. The cynical might suggest that there are few differences between these occupations! When I was a kid, I wrote several ‘audio’ plays and recorded these as well as wrote and acted in school plays. I was also school captain at primary and later high school and liked the idea of having some kind of leadership position in the future. Instead I became an academic and lawyer which probably compares poorly with any grandiose dreams I had. Though lecturing and appearing in court is essentially ‘stage work’ but often without an appreciative audience!
2. If you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again?
There were two golden ages - when I was between 10-12 years old and 18 to 22 years old. Between 10 and 12 my childhood was in full swing and I lived to play with neighbourhood friends in our make-believe worlds. The second, between, 18 to 22, was my first time at University which I did not treat too seriously but had a wonderful time with a good group of friends. Both golden ages were carefree and characterised by little money but an amazing sense of freedom and optimism. Do I feel this way now? Somewhat but I also have many more responsibilities.
The one bit of knowledge I would take? Perhaps to be less risk-averse and be willing to consider different possibilities for my life.
3. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time?
The anecdote my Mother still tells of my childhood is of me being so obsessed with books that I would read in the shower. I would prop the book up outside the glass shower screen so that I could peer at the pages through the glass!
I read initially Enid Blyton (The Famous Five), Hardy Boys books, The Wind in the Willows, JR Tolkien (Hobbit, Lord of the Rings) and then Robert Ludlum, James Clavell etc. I was lucky that I developed a passion for reading at early age which has served me well throughout my life.
4. I’m wondering if there are any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve?
I’ve given up the prospect of becoming the Australian Test Cricket Captain but I would love to write a comedy/sit-com or film script.
5. Please share a book that has meant something to you, and tell us why.
There have been so many but James Clavell’s ‘King Rat’ – a story of POWS in a WW2 prison (Changi) in Singapore is a remarkable tale of the power and resiliency of the human spirit in extreme and oppressive circumstances. I still read it every few years or so. The second is ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ which holds special significance since I my son’s middle name ‘Atticus’ comes from one of the main characters of this book – a quietly proud, rational lawyer of great personal courage.
Friday, November 14, 2008
JENNIFER RABOLD: Of Dreams and Youth and Possibilities
1. Children have so many dreams. Small ones, large ones. They dream of being astronauts, of becoming a princess or a queen or even a king. As we grew older, our dreams became the shape our futures would take. So my first question is when you were young what did you envision your future to be? And as a follow up, how does it compare to where you eventually arrived?
Oh my. I never had a problem finding something I wanted to do with my future. My problem was choosing few enough to fit in this lifetime! I have vague memories of wanting to be a teacher or a ballerina or a scientist as a child. I spent a lot of time teaching my sisters and the stuffed animals long division and spelling, twirling around the house, and doing strange experiments with whatever solutions I could get my hands on. It was in junior high school (ages 12-14) that I really started having some ideas about careers. I had dreams of being (this is pretty much in the order the ideas developed) a rock star, a marine biologist, a Supreme Court justice, President of the United States, a translator, a singer, a nurse midwife. Fortunately, my parents were so incredibly supportive, never imposing their wishes, simply sending me on whale watch trips and paying for voice lessons and really hoping that the rock star dream passed quickly. :-)
In university, I majored in English because I got to read novels, which didn’t seem like work to me, and Women’s Studies, reflecting my newfound feminism. I did internships with a lobbyist and in a Victim/Witness Assistance Program, both of which I enjoyed for different reasons, but which I couldn’t envision myself doing as a job. I went immediately to graduate school to get a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, but discovered pretty quickly that it really wasn’t what I wanted to do, so after a year, I dropped out and traveled with Up With People. After traveling, I moved to Boston and still didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I worked as a counselor and medical assistant in a Planned Parenthood women’s clinic, where I was proud to do important work, even though it was emotionally difficult and dangerous. Then I joined a reading group and remembered how much I enjoyed reading and talking about books, so I went back to graduate school, this time for English. I got an assistantship teaching undergraduate writing classes, which paid for school, and had my epiphany! I loved teaching! I was back full circle. And I’ve been in education ever since.
2. I sometimes fantasize about being able to travel back in time, but not in my current mid-forties body. I wonder what it would be like to become who I was in high school or college but with the knowledge and patience I’ve gained in the years since. Second question…if you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again?
I don’t think you could pay me to repeat junior high school or high school… I’m not sure there’s much I could do even knowing what I know now to make them any easier, except maybe go to a different school, like a private school, where it was cool to be smart.
But I would certainly want to repeat my Up With People year. Correction… I would go back before my Up With People year, deal with some issues I clearly needed to deal with first, then repeat my Up With People year, soak up more culture, learn more languages, find more ways to get out of doing the show and do more community service, take advantage of every spin-off, and most importantly, finish the year with the cast (I left early).
3. As a writer, I started off as a reader. I began reading book after book when I was probably around 8 or 9. For me, initially it was mysteries then science fiction. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time?
Oh, I was an incredible bookworm as a child. I’d read several chapter books a week. I read all the Boxcar Children mysteries, the entire Little House on the Prairie series (three times), lots of Madeleine L’Engle’s books (A Wrinkle in Time, for example), and then every horse book I could get my hands on until I finally saved enough money delivering newspapers that I bought myself a real horse. My mother directed me to the classics, so I read Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Gone With the Wind, Rebecca, and lots of others. Then, I hit high school, and my English classes completely turned me off to reading. I can’t recall a single book I read for pleasure in high school until my voice teacher recommended Richard Bach’s A Bridge Across Forever, which got me through high school.
4. Back to the scenario in the first question…I’m wondering if there are any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve? What are they?
I’d love to own a little book store… a cozy little place with lots of nooks for curling up to read… maybe in my retirement.
I very seriously considered becoming a nurse midwife or a dula (a childbirth assistant)… maybe in another lifetime.
I’d love to live in another country for at least a year, with my family. Still a very real possibility.
5. There are many books in my life that have meant something to me. Books and stories that have stayed with me over the years. Some make me smile, some make me think, some even make me mad. The final question…please share a book that has meant something to you, and tells why.
Just one? I can’t. Here are a few.
The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. Henry DeTamble, meets Clare when he is 28 and she is 20, but she meets him when she is 6. Henry is a time traveler, a sometimes delightful but usually unfortunate effect of a genetic condition he was born with. He is able to meet his future wife when she is still a child, allowing him to watch her grow up and allowing her to fall in love with him over the 14 years he visited her. He is able to meet himself as a child, mentoring him and teaching him how to survive with his unusual affliction. Despite the improbable story line, Niffenegger creates her characters and their predicament with such realism that the book is much more love story than fantasy.
Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger. This is Enger’s first novel, and it’s brilliant. He creates a narrator in the style of To Kill a Mockingbird’s Scout – eleven-year-old, asthmatic Reuben Land, who engages on a cross-country trip in an Airstream trailer with his father, who can perform miracles, and his kid sister, who sees life as a western epic poem, to find his brother, who has been unfairly charged with murder. It’s got something for everyone – comedy, tragedy, love story, adventure, heroic quest, spiritual revelation, and at times, western epic poem. Beautiful prose.
Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks. An unusual premise for a novel, this is a story of a small town in England during the Black Plague, which quarantines itself when it discovers its community has been infected. The story is told through the eyes of Anna, a young mother and housemaid who is forced by circumstances to step out of her old roles, restricted by gender and class, and assume challenging responsibilities which change her and those around her. Impeccably researched.
Beloved, by Toni Morrison. Toni Morrison is one of the great authors of the 20th century. Beloved is her masterpiece. It is the story of Sethe, a slave who escaped slavery but is haunted (literally and figuratively) by its heritage and scarred (physically and emotionally) by its aftermath. But it is also the story of America, of a nation and a people scarred and haunted by the legacy of slavery. Incredibly symbolic. You must talk to someone about this novel after you read it in order to even begin to understand it.
The Passion, by Jeanette Winterson. The Passion is a mystical story of Henri, Napoleon's chicken cook, and Villanelle, the daughter of a Venetian boatman whose webbed feet carve a unique place for her in the canals of Venice. The magic realism and quirky characters alone are enjoyable, but the deeper commentary on gender identity and expectations are fascinating.
The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy. This novel by Indian author Roy is one of the most exquisitely written novels I think I've ever read. The narrative structure is daring... the story is told almost backwards, with event after event unfolding, foreshadowing and building to a violent climax. I learned so much about the Indian caste system and the oppression of the untouchables as well.
The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Her most famous novel, The Mists of Avalon is a retelling of the Camelot legend from the perspective of Morgan Le Fey, who is portrayed as the villain in the original story. The story transpires during the transformation of England from local paganistic and goddess worship religions to Christianity, and illustrates what that change meant for women. At 1000+ pages, the epic sweep of the novel just sucks the reader into a different world.
Oh my. I never had a problem finding something I wanted to do with my future. My problem was choosing few enough to fit in this lifetime! I have vague memories of wanting to be a teacher or a ballerina or a scientist as a child. I spent a lot of time teaching my sisters and the stuffed animals long division and spelling, twirling around the house, and doing strange experiments with whatever solutions I could get my hands on. It was in junior high school (ages 12-14) that I really started having some ideas about careers. I had dreams of being (this is pretty much in the order the ideas developed) a rock star, a marine biologist, a Supreme Court justice, President of the United States, a translator, a singer, a nurse midwife. Fortunately, my parents were so incredibly supportive, never imposing their wishes, simply sending me on whale watch trips and paying for voice lessons and really hoping that the rock star dream passed quickly. :-)
In university, I majored in English because I got to read novels, which didn’t seem like work to me, and Women’s Studies, reflecting my newfound feminism. I did internships with a lobbyist and in a Victim/Witness Assistance Program, both of which I enjoyed for different reasons, but which I couldn’t envision myself doing as a job. I went immediately to graduate school to get a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, but discovered pretty quickly that it really wasn’t what I wanted to do, so after a year, I dropped out and traveled with Up With People. After traveling, I moved to Boston and still didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I worked as a counselor and medical assistant in a Planned Parenthood women’s clinic, where I was proud to do important work, even though it was emotionally difficult and dangerous. Then I joined a reading group and remembered how much I enjoyed reading and talking about books, so I went back to graduate school, this time for English. I got an assistantship teaching undergraduate writing classes, which paid for school, and had my epiphany! I loved teaching! I was back full circle. And I’ve been in education ever since.
2. I sometimes fantasize about being able to travel back in time, but not in my current mid-forties body. I wonder what it would be like to become who I was in high school or college but with the knowledge and patience I’ve gained in the years since. Second question…if you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again?
I don’t think you could pay me to repeat junior high school or high school… I’m not sure there’s much I could do even knowing what I know now to make them any easier, except maybe go to a different school, like a private school, where it was cool to be smart.
But I would certainly want to repeat my Up With People year. Correction… I would go back before my Up With People year, deal with some issues I clearly needed to deal with first, then repeat my Up With People year, soak up more culture, learn more languages, find more ways to get out of doing the show and do more community service, take advantage of every spin-off, and most importantly, finish the year with the cast (I left early).
3. As a writer, I started off as a reader. I began reading book after book when I was probably around 8 or 9. For me, initially it was mysteries then science fiction. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time?
Oh, I was an incredible bookworm as a child. I’d read several chapter books a week. I read all the Boxcar Children mysteries, the entire Little House on the Prairie series (three times), lots of Madeleine L’Engle’s books (A Wrinkle in Time, for example), and then every horse book I could get my hands on until I finally saved enough money delivering newspapers that I bought myself a real horse. My mother directed me to the classics, so I read Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Gone With the Wind, Rebecca, and lots of others. Then, I hit high school, and my English classes completely turned me off to reading. I can’t recall a single book I read for pleasure in high school until my voice teacher recommended Richard Bach’s A Bridge Across Forever, which got me through high school.
4. Back to the scenario in the first question…I’m wondering if there are any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve? What are they?
I’d love to own a little book store… a cozy little place with lots of nooks for curling up to read… maybe in my retirement.
I very seriously considered becoming a nurse midwife or a dula (a childbirth assistant)… maybe in another lifetime.
I’d love to live in another country for at least a year, with my family. Still a very real possibility.
5. There are many books in my life that have meant something to me. Books and stories that have stayed with me over the years. Some make me smile, some make me think, some even make me mad. The final question…please share a book that has meant something to you, and tells why.
Just one? I can’t. Here are a few.
The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. Henry DeTamble, meets Clare when he is 28 and she is 20, but she meets him when she is 6. Henry is a time traveler, a sometimes delightful but usually unfortunate effect of a genetic condition he was born with. He is able to meet his future wife when she is still a child, allowing him to watch her grow up and allowing her to fall in love with him over the 14 years he visited her. He is able to meet himself as a child, mentoring him and teaching him how to survive with his unusual affliction. Despite the improbable story line, Niffenegger creates her characters and their predicament with such realism that the book is much more love story than fantasy.
Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger. This is Enger’s first novel, and it’s brilliant. He creates a narrator in the style of To Kill a Mockingbird’s Scout – eleven-year-old, asthmatic Reuben Land, who engages on a cross-country trip in an Airstream trailer with his father, who can perform miracles, and his kid sister, who sees life as a western epic poem, to find his brother, who has been unfairly charged with murder. It’s got something for everyone – comedy, tragedy, love story, adventure, heroic quest, spiritual revelation, and at times, western epic poem. Beautiful prose.
Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks. An unusual premise for a novel, this is a story of a small town in England during the Black Plague, which quarantines itself when it discovers its community has been infected. The story is told through the eyes of Anna, a young mother and housemaid who is forced by circumstances to step out of her old roles, restricted by gender and class, and assume challenging responsibilities which change her and those around her. Impeccably researched.
Beloved, by Toni Morrison. Toni Morrison is one of the great authors of the 20th century. Beloved is her masterpiece. It is the story of Sethe, a slave who escaped slavery but is haunted (literally and figuratively) by its heritage and scarred (physically and emotionally) by its aftermath. But it is also the story of America, of a nation and a people scarred and haunted by the legacy of slavery. Incredibly symbolic. You must talk to someone about this novel after you read it in order to even begin to understand it.
The Passion, by Jeanette Winterson. The Passion is a mystical story of Henri, Napoleon's chicken cook, and Villanelle, the daughter of a Venetian boatman whose webbed feet carve a unique place for her in the canals of Venice. The magic realism and quirky characters alone are enjoyable, but the deeper commentary on gender identity and expectations are fascinating.
The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy. This novel by Indian author Roy is one of the most exquisitely written novels I think I've ever read. The narrative structure is daring... the story is told almost backwards, with event after event unfolding, foreshadowing and building to a violent climax. I learned so much about the Indian caste system and the oppression of the untouchables as well.
The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Her most famous novel, The Mists of Avalon is a retelling of the Camelot legend from the perspective of Morgan Le Fey, who is portrayed as the villain in the original story. The story transpires during the transformation of England from local paganistic and goddess worship religions to Christianity, and illustrates what that change meant for women. At 1000+ pages, the epic sweep of the novel just sucks the reader into a different world.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
EDUARDO INFANTE: Dreams, Youth, and Possibilities
1. When you were young what did you envision your future to be? And as a follow up, how does it compare to where you eventually arrived?
When I was a kid, like all of you, I dreamed on being many things. Becoming an architect was one of them. Although that did not come as a surprise since my father is an architect himself, and ever since I was very young I remember going with him to dozens of construction sites. I mainly remember how captivated I could get on witnessing the progression of a construction work, where many buildings of many different shapes would rise from scratch. Talk about amusement as a little kid realizes the power of human creativity.
At different points, when I was a kid, I also wanted to be a zoologist. I was fascinated by the different shapes and kinds of species there were out there. I somehow liked to dream that one day I would be able to know as many of them as anyone could. I also wanted to be a doctor, which I guess puts me within the standard for any boy. The reason for this to happen is that I wanted to heal people.
Speaking of healing, I also wanted to become a priest. And this thought was there, somewhere in the back of my mind, for some good 10 years. The possibility of “healing people’s souls” and helping them getting to a higher stage in their existence was rather appealing, I must admit.
In all honesty, I did not give teaching much thought up until my days in college, when I realized that I had a gift to help my friends understanding tricky topics, as we would get together in study groups prior to writing exams. One given day, in these study marathons, Everardo, a good college buddy of mine, declared that I’d be teaching in ten years from now. He also said that I’d become a heck of a good teacher.
Ten years afterwards, I am a teacher. And I certainly hope I’m a good one.
2. If you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again?
As much as I would love to say that going back to the summer of 1993, when I was 17, and ready to take a plane to Denver, Colorado, in order to start my year in Up With People is that time in life where I’d like to go back, it is not. I’d go three years back, to the fall of 1990, when I was getting into high school. In reality, I’d love to relive my years of high school, with the level of knowledge and, most importantly, with the level of self-confidence I have right now.
It’s funny, but I can bet that if you ask anybody who knows me from my years in high school, they will say that I was the self-assured, easy-going, merry-go-lucky, popular-and-enthusiastic kind of guy. They may also say that I had no trouble establishing bonds with others, or getting used to changing environments. And I wasn’t, on the surface.
Yet, if I could go back to those years in high school, I’d probably run for President (and not Vice President) of my school body. If I went back to my high school years, I would have given a second chance to playing soccer, even if I made a fool of myself. I would still be interested in getting good grades, but I’d be a little less obedient and role-model of a kid to my parents, just for the heck of it. And yes, I’d probably ask them out, and kiss the two or three girls that I never had the guts to kiss back then. (In reality, my first kiss – a real kiss with a girl - didn’t come until my time in Up With People)
3. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time?
Yes, I was a reader when I was young. And I’m still a reader today. The kind of books that I read when I was a young kid, perhaps 5 or 6, was encyclopedias. The first encyclopedia I read was one on Animals. It was called Salvat’s Encyclopedia on Animals and Wilderness. A fabulous collection, I must say.
In question 1, I said I wanted to become a Zoologist at some point in my life. This encyclopedia on animals was one of the most important reasons why so.
A second reason was simply my natural curiosity on animal species. Bugs, spiders, ants, worms, birds, turtles, small snakes… you name it. (Well, not rats or mice. I hate those guys! I honestly do) I just had a innate inquisitiveness to get to know how these guys operated. Yes, that sometimes implied dissecting them, teasing them, and getting exposed to them a bit more that reasonable standards.
4. Are there any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve? What are they?
Becoming an explorer. Discovering the world. Spending more time out in the wilderness. Risking failure. Exposing myself to making a fool of myself.
I think that, as time has passed, I’ve lost most of that voyager spirit that I once used to have. (Believe it or not) Lately, I’ve been working on allowing myself the opportunity to do things I thought I’d never do. By doing this, I’ve also been encountering aspects of myself that were long gone, and with which I had not been in touch in years.
5. Please share a book that has meant something to you, and tells why.
Herman Hesse’s Demian. A book that literally changed my mind since I read it at about the same age that Emil Sinclair, the protagonist in this novel, had. And just like Sinclair, I was in a stage of life in which I was going from childhood to adolescence, and was discovering a whole new world that had been kept hidden to me for one reason or another.
When Emil Sinclair meets Max Demian, he begins destroying some of his strongest beliefs, just to find out that there’s a creating force in each and every one of us. That this creating force is out there, available to anybody. But only the ones who dare to destroy their known world are to enjoy it. Creation is thus preceded by destruction.
As Demian revolts against the superficial ideals of his world, he awakes into a realization of himself:
"Der Vogel kämpft sich aus dem Ei. Das Ei ist die Welt. Wer geboren werden will, muss eine Welt zerstören. Der Vogel fliegt zu Gott. Der Gott heisst Abraxas."
(The bird struggles out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas.)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
RICK VON FELDT: Dreams, Youth and Possibilities
ONE: Children have so many dreams. Small ones, large ones. They dream of being astronauts, of becoming a princess or a queen or even a king. As we grew older, our dreams became the shape our futures would take. So my first question is when you were young what did you envision your future to be? And as a follow up, how does it compare to where you eventually arrived?
My earliest recollection of wanting to be something was as a teacher. When I was 2 or 3, my parents went to some kind of school sale, and purchased a whole bunch of school stuff. And suddenly, our play room had a whole bunch of those “one piece” desks with swivel chairs and lift up desk tops. And so – we played school. And since I was the oldest of the three boys – I was the teacher. Mostly because I liked making tests. Funny – I don’t ever remember teaching or studying. We just took tests.
As time went on – I passed a phase of being a lawyer – but decided it was too much school. I went through phases of wanting to be a politician, a priest and a businessman. I used to love to play office – thinking that having an “inbox” was just the coolest. Oh how I have learned to regret those words!
But as time went on – I was interested in two things: Advertising / Marketing and Psychology. I have always enjoyed those two items. I have ended up in marketing roles and training roles – and I think pretty much have followed what I want to do.
All that is left is my little fantasy about being a professional chef…
TWO: I sometimes fantasize about being able to travel back in time, but not in my current mid-forties body. I wonder what it would be like to become who I was in high school or college but with the knowledge and patience I’ve gained in the years since. Second question…if you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again?
I think the year I might do over would be my very first year I traveled in UP WITH PEOPLE, a student group I participated in. It was in 1981 – and I had just turned 19 years old. The start of that year was in Tucson, Arizona, and the Frontier Plane trip to Tucson was my very first airplane trip. I knew a lot about Topeka, but very little about the world, religions, diversity and food. Not knowing much gave me the chance to drink deeply from the well of life. But I am sure that much of life passed me by as I spent each day trying to look like I knew what I was doing while I silently prayed ever hour, literally, for god to give me strength to get through it all.
That year changed my life more than any other year, and so I would not want to mess that up. But if I had the global wisdom I have now – I could have learned more, tried more, tasted more and been more. On the other hand, I went on and traveled four more years in Up With People just to be sure that I got those experiences. Lucky me.
THREE: As a writer, I started off as a reader. I began reading book after book when I was probably around 8 or 9. For me, initially it was mysteries then science fiction. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time?
I LOVED READING. I think I remember thinking that might have been my first addiction. In grade school, we would get those little paper catalogues, and we could place orders for books. I was a crazy man. I was already working as a 10 year old at my Dad’s gas station and so I was rolling in the cash. When the book orders came in – it was like Christmas. I would order sometimes 6 or 8 books. Later, I learned it was must mostly the girls that were reading books. And when I looked at what they were reading, it was Nancy Drew. Nobody told me then about the Hardy Boys. And I always thought I wanted to marry someone like Nancy. So I think I read most of Keene’s books. I loved learning about her deductive reasoning skills.
Then, in 7th grade, secretly picked up a copy of the “Exorcist.” Holly Molly. That booked rocked my world. It was the first time I remember getting scared from a book that I had to stop reading it at times. It taught me about horror and the suggestive power of fiction. (And it taught me new swear words. In a book!) Today, mystery and suspense fiction continues to thrill me. Unfortunately, I so disliked reading about history, that I never came to really appreciate non-fiction and biographies. English classes ruined historic novels and poetry. The only thing we didn’t have to read in classes were Stephen King – and so he was my escape. And along with Dean Koontz, he continues to be.
FOUR: Back to the scenario in the first question…I’m wondering if there are any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve? What are they?
I mentioned one up above – that of being a chef. But it scares me – because I am fearful that I would destroy one of my forms of art. It is interesting. In general, I have found myself not exactly describe WHAT I would be – but what I would be DOING. I still have a fantasy that one day, someone sees me in the shopping mall, and wants to cast me in a new Star Trek movie. I also want to one day follow my hero Brett – as a professional author.
FIVE: There are many books in my life that have meant something to me. Books and stories that have stayed with me over the years. Some make me smile, some make me think, some even make me mad. The final question…please share a book that has meant something to you, and tells why.
The book that first changed my life (and others have followed) was a book that my parents had from an insurance course they attended. I was in 8th grade, and in those gawky years of thinking I knew what I wanted to be but unsure of how to get there. I saw this book on the table, and thought, “Yeah – that is what I want to do!” And so I started to read “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.
That book did several things for me. First, on a prima facie level, it taught me to think out who and “how” I wanted to be. It taught me to focus on others instead of myself. I tried it. It was like magic. The book inspired me to make major transitions in how I looked – what I said and how I interacted with people.
The book also went on to make me so much more interested in human psychology – and to think more and more about what people do what they do. I was inspired to continue my studies in social psychology. And I learned about the secrets of personal reinvention and change.
I have given that book away to many people – young and old since. I occasionally, I pick it up for some great wisdom and reminders!
My earliest recollection of wanting to be something was as a teacher. When I was 2 or 3, my parents went to some kind of school sale, and purchased a whole bunch of school stuff. And suddenly, our play room had a whole bunch of those “one piece” desks with swivel chairs and lift up desk tops. And so – we played school. And since I was the oldest of the three boys – I was the teacher. Mostly because I liked making tests. Funny – I don’t ever remember teaching or studying. We just took tests.
As time went on – I passed a phase of being a lawyer – but decided it was too much school. I went through phases of wanting to be a politician, a priest and a businessman. I used to love to play office – thinking that having an “inbox” was just the coolest. Oh how I have learned to regret those words!
But as time went on – I was interested in two things: Advertising / Marketing and Psychology. I have always enjoyed those two items. I have ended up in marketing roles and training roles – and I think pretty much have followed what I want to do.
All that is left is my little fantasy about being a professional chef…
TWO: I sometimes fantasize about being able to travel back in time, but not in my current mid-forties body. I wonder what it would be like to become who I was in high school or college but with the knowledge and patience I’ve gained in the years since. Second question…if you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again?
I think the year I might do over would be my very first year I traveled in UP WITH PEOPLE, a student group I participated in. It was in 1981 – and I had just turned 19 years old. The start of that year was in Tucson, Arizona, and the Frontier Plane trip to Tucson was my very first airplane trip. I knew a lot about Topeka, but very little about the world, religions, diversity and food. Not knowing much gave me the chance to drink deeply from the well of life. But I am sure that much of life passed me by as I spent each day trying to look like I knew what I was doing while I silently prayed ever hour, literally, for god to give me strength to get through it all.
That year changed my life more than any other year, and so I would not want to mess that up. But if I had the global wisdom I have now – I could have learned more, tried more, tasted more and been more. On the other hand, I went on and traveled four more years in Up With People just to be sure that I got those experiences. Lucky me.
THREE: As a writer, I started off as a reader. I began reading book after book when I was probably around 8 or 9. For me, initially it was mysteries then science fiction. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time?
I LOVED READING. I think I remember thinking that might have been my first addiction. In grade school, we would get those little paper catalogues, and we could place orders for books. I was a crazy man. I was already working as a 10 year old at my Dad’s gas station and so I was rolling in the cash. When the book orders came in – it was like Christmas. I would order sometimes 6 or 8 books. Later, I learned it was must mostly the girls that were reading books. And when I looked at what they were reading, it was Nancy Drew. Nobody told me then about the Hardy Boys. And I always thought I wanted to marry someone like Nancy. So I think I read most of Keene’s books. I loved learning about her deductive reasoning skills.
Then, in 7th grade, secretly picked up a copy of the “Exorcist.” Holly Molly. That booked rocked my world. It was the first time I remember getting scared from a book that I had to stop reading it at times. It taught me about horror and the suggestive power of fiction. (And it taught me new swear words. In a book!) Today, mystery and suspense fiction continues to thrill me. Unfortunately, I so disliked reading about history, that I never came to really appreciate non-fiction and biographies. English classes ruined historic novels and poetry. The only thing we didn’t have to read in classes were Stephen King – and so he was my escape. And along with Dean Koontz, he continues to be.
FOUR: Back to the scenario in the first question…I’m wondering if there are any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve? What are they?
I mentioned one up above – that of being a chef. But it scares me – because I am fearful that I would destroy one of my forms of art. It is interesting. In general, I have found myself not exactly describe WHAT I would be – but what I would be DOING. I still have a fantasy that one day, someone sees me in the shopping mall, and wants to cast me in a new Star Trek movie. I also want to one day follow my hero Brett – as a professional author.
FIVE: There are many books in my life that have meant something to me. Books and stories that have stayed with me over the years. Some make me smile, some make me think, some even make me mad. The final question…please share a book that has meant something to you, and tells why.
The book that first changed my life (and others have followed) was a book that my parents had from an insurance course they attended. I was in 8th grade, and in those gawky years of thinking I knew what I wanted to be but unsure of how to get there. I saw this book on the table, and thought, “Yeah – that is what I want to do!” And so I started to read “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.
That book did several things for me. First, on a prima facie level, it taught me to think out who and “how” I wanted to be. It taught me to focus on others instead of myself. I tried it. It was like magic. The book inspired me to make major transitions in how I looked – what I said and how I interacted with people.
The book also went on to make me so much more interested in human psychology – and to think more and more about what people do what they do. I was inspired to continue my studies in social psychology. And I learned about the secrets of personal reinvention and change.
I have given that book away to many people – young and old since. I occasionally, I pick it up for some great wisdom and reminders!
Friday, November 7, 2008
ANDREAS EKSTROM: Of Dreams and Youth and Possibilities
1. When you were young what did you envision your future to be? And as a follow up, how does it compare to where you eventually arrived? I wanted to be a pilot! And then I got glasses at age 8, so I decided to write instead. Which is what I do. And married with children, I guess, which I am!
2. If you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again? I am not sure I want to go back. I have been there already! I would love some more time with my grandparents, but...
3. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time? Very much so. I read everything from kids books to pretty complicated stuff. I read ”Biggles”, all 80 of them. I read Gorbachev's ”Perestrojka” at age twelve. (That is just plain weird.)
4. I’m wondering if there are any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve? Just the usual fame and fortune. Except I am not sure I want more fame and fortune than I have. Ok, maybe a little. I would at some point like to be able to fly a plane! But enough to put in the time and money? No way.
5. Please share a book that has meant something to you, and tell us why. Jules Verne's ”Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” was my first ”big” novel experience. A book that had, and still has, just about everything. I to this day consider it a masterpiece, and I have reread it many times, even as an adult.
2. If you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again? I am not sure I want to go back. I have been there already! I would love some more time with my grandparents, but...
3. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time? Very much so. I read everything from kids books to pretty complicated stuff. I read ”Biggles”, all 80 of them. I read Gorbachev's ”Perestrojka” at age twelve. (That is just plain weird.)
4. I’m wondering if there are any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve? Just the usual fame and fortune. Except I am not sure I want more fame and fortune than I have. Ok, maybe a little. I would at some point like to be able to fly a plane! But enough to put in the time and money? No way.
5. Please share a book that has meant something to you, and tell us why. Jules Verne's ”Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” was my first ”big” novel experience. A book that had, and still has, just about everything. I to this day consider it a masterpiece, and I have reread it many times, even as an adult.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
WEEK SIX: Five questions...Of Dreams and Youth and Possibilities
WEEK SIX: Five questions...Of Dreams and Youth and Possibilities
Author in charge this week: Brett Battles
1. Children have so many dreams. Small ones, large ones. They dream of being astronauts, of becoming a princess or a queen or even a king. As we grew older, our dreams became the shape our futures would take. So my first question is when you were young what did you envision your future to be? And as a follow up, how does it compare to where you eventually arrived?
2. I sometimes fantasize about being able to travel back in time, but not in my current mid-forties body. I wonder what it would be like to become who I was in high school or college but with the knowledge and patience I’ve gained in the years since. Second question…if you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again?
3. As a writer, I started off as a reader. I began reading book after book when I was probably around 8 or 9. For me, initially it was mysteries then science fiction. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time?
4. Back to the scenario in the first question…I’m wondering if there are any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve? What are they?
5. There are many books in my life that have meant something to me. Books and stories that have stayed with me over the years. Some make me smile, some make me think, some even make me mad. The final question…please share a book that has meant something to you, and tells why.
Author in charge this week: Brett Battles
1. Children have so many dreams. Small ones, large ones. They dream of being astronauts, of becoming a princess or a queen or even a king. As we grew older, our dreams became the shape our futures would take. So my first question is when you were young what did you envision your future to be? And as a follow up, how does it compare to where you eventually arrived?
2. I sometimes fantasize about being able to travel back in time, but not in my current mid-forties body. I wonder what it would be like to become who I was in high school or college but with the knowledge and patience I’ve gained in the years since. Second question…if you could go back and become yourself at a certain time in life which time would you choose and why? And if you could only take one bit of knowledge or one trait you’ve gained as you’ve grown older (but not too old!), what would it be? And why again?
3. As a writer, I started off as a reader. I began reading book after book when I was probably around 8 or 9. For me, initially it was mysteries then science fiction. Were you a reader as a youth? If so, what kind of books did you read? Who were some of your favorite authors at the time?
4. Back to the scenario in the first question…I’m wondering if there are any dreams you had which you did not achieve but are still working on, or hoping to achieve? What are they?
5. There are many books in my life that have meant something to me. Books and stories that have stayed with me over the years. Some make me smile, some make me think, some even make me mad. The final question…please share a book that has meant something to you, and tells why.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
