365 Questions

My friend Kristin Taylor and I decided to launch a fun, introspective project this year called 365 Questions.

It's exactly what it sounds like. You answer a question every day for an entire year.

Sound like fun? You can find us on Facebook by searching "365 Questions."

You are welcome to share whichever answers they like on the page, or keep a private journal, blog – whatever tickles your fancy. At the end of the year you should have a nice memoir of your thoughts on a variety of topics from "what makes you laugh" to "what television series, movie or book would you like to be a character in?"

I've decided to blog my answers. This could be a difficult undertaking as some of the upcoming questions are pretty personal and ask you to dig deep. But I'm going to put myself out there and trust that my audience will accept my answers in the honest, soul-bearing manner they are presented.

Here goes . . . oh, there are nine questions in week one because we post every Sunday and January began on a Friday.

WEEK 1
1. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If you do, what are they this year? If you don’t, why? 
I have abandoned the routine of making resolutions. I read an interesting article saying that the word "resolve" means you're trying to make something better or find a solution to a problem. We are not problems. All of us are doing the best every day . . . and on some days, our best may be getting out of bed and getting yourself to work. I choose instead to make "doing my best" a daily practice. This doesn't mean I don't set goals, because I do. I just don't choose the beginning of each year as my starting point. I am inspired by people every day. People who inspire me to eat healthier, maintain my exercise program and work on my personal growth.

2. How would you describe your first kiss? 
Such a tough question. I don't really remember my first kiss which I'm told happened back in grade school but the first kiss that really mattered and resonated in my memory felt amazing, a little illicit and dangerous. It was with an older boy, on the back of a school bus on a band trip. Yes, you could almost say, "One time at band camp . . ."

3. What’s one thing you’ve done you wish you could erase?
I loved what my friend Kristin said about life being written in pen, not pencil. That  totally resonated with me. There are no take-backs in life. Yes, I drank way too much during my 20s, slept with too many of the wrong people during those days, made some bad decisions, and drove my parents crazy. But I believe life is not meant to be lived on a straight path. It is a circuitous route. And there are valuable lessons to be learned along the way. I am who I am because of everything that has happened in the past. Some good. Some bad. And sometimes the bad has to happen in order to find the good. Yes, there's a particular weekend in Sudbury that I wish hadn't happened, but it did and I've dealt with it. The memory of it used to trouble me quite a bit but now it's since faded away to a distant blip. I am stronger because of it.

4. Who or what has been the big love of your life?
To this point, the biggest love of my life has been my friends. They are a positive and soul-filling part of my existence. Every day I am grateful for those wonderful people who grace me with their presence, love and wisdom. Some I interact with on a daily basis, others I may see less frequently but they all matter. You know who you are. I love each and every one of you.

5. What would your last meal be?
I'm not sure about all the details but I do know it would likely be prepared by my friend Lori McPhee – chef extraordinaire. It would include her oven roasted tomatoes, bacon-wrapped cocktail weiners (oven roasted with a bit of brown sugar), her spinach salad with homemade garlic and vinegar dressing and toasted almonds, some kind of pasta, and something chocolate for dessert. 

6. If you could live in a TV show, book or movie, which one would you choose and why? 
Again, this was a challenging question as there are so many options. I toyed with Ferris  Bueller's Day Off as it would be cool to hang with Ferris. I would also like to hang out with Hank Moody on Californication as the writing is just so darn witty. But I think I would choose to be in The Big Chill. I love all the music as well as Kevin Kline. Plus, I love the friendship of this group of people and how they support each other. I could see myself as part of their group of people. It also seemed like a nice little town to live in where I could go running with Kevin.

7. You were elected prime minister of Canada. What will you include in your inaugural address?
I don't profess to be any kind of political strategist but I liked part of Justin Trudeau's message in that we all have to work together regardless of political affiliation. We're all in this together and need to be part of the solution. This may involve giving up a little something so others can survive and grow. It may also mean being okay with tough choices that need to be made elsewhere.

8. If you could be invisible for day, where would you go and what would you do?
If I could be transported quickly to New Jersey or wherever the E Street Band is rehearsing for their upcoming tour, it would be cool to get a behind-the-scenes view of what goes on to prep for a tour.

9. What advice would you give your younger self?
One piece of advice would be to start saving early. Get into the habit of saving money when you're young so that it's part of your fabric when you're an adult. The other piece of advice to go along with that is not to wait to do the things you love. Do them now. Don't wait for retirement or when your life is less busy. Life is short so cram as much fun and experiences into it as you can. Don't wait to tell people you love them. Don't be afraid to do whatever you love. Love yourself and all the great things you are. Don't lose that childlike joy in the small things in life or your wonderful imagination – hang on tight to those two things.