…and the answers are simple
A while ago (longer than I care to admit) I was invited by Patri from The Stereoscopic Eye to participate in this exchange of questions and I’ve been looking forward to finally getting around to indulging in some thoughts about myself while answering these questions because let’s be honest, who doesn’t love to dig down deep and ponder the meaning of life. I knew Patri’s questions wouldn’t disappoint with her strong opinions on feminism and a love of photography and art that really pushes the boundaries. Her questions include having to choose between superpowers – yeah exactly!
Getting to know me…
1. Ice breaker. You can choose between two superpowers: invisibility and flying. Which one do you go for? Why?
Absolutely without a single hesitation flying. I’ve sky dived and even though I was terrified at the time, there is no feeling quite like it. I’ve grown up riding horses and the feeling of galloping might come close but my ultimate super power would be leaping off a building and just going where my heart desires.
2. Who is the female/feminist super-hero of your life?
My mother. Definitely my mother. She had me when she was really young and didn’t let anything get in the way of always being a super mom. I watched her walk away from a horrid relationship with my dad even though she had nowhere to go from there – she did it.
I don’t know anyone with more strength than her! She taught me that sometimes you have to put your brave face on, even when you’re terrified and always stand up for yourself. I don’t know anyone with more integrity and independence than her.
She hasn’t always had things easy but she has always been an absolutely dedicated and loving mom. When people say I’m like my mother I’m so honoured and flattered.
3. It’s the end of the day and you have been working hard. You are tired but very hungry. What do you have for dinner?
TAKE OUT! I am a huge fan of calling for deliveries. My husband normally makes dinner because I hate cooking so if I was tired and hungry there is no way in hell you will find me in the kitchen… it’s sushi time.
4. What is worse: one week without Internet or one week without mobile phone? Why?
A week without internet. I would die without access to my online life. My blog, my career, my friends, everything, are all right there available to me. As an introvert I don’t really like talking on the phone anyway so I’m happy to be without my phone.
5. Describe the perfect cup of coffee/tea. Each step counts!
I drink one cup of coffee in the morning and countless cups of tea throughout the day. If I was forced to choose one forever… I sure would miss my daily cup of coffee!
The perfect cup of tea:
- boil water
- choose perfect cup – must be medium-sized (I hate long thin cups) – this step is vital!
- place tea bag in the cup
- one sugar – un-heaped (is that a real word?)
- pour water directly onto tea bag and let all the tea goodness come seeping out
- once tea looks dark and strong pour in a dash of milk
- tea should now be a little less black but NOT extremely milky. The key is to get it strong and have only a tiny bit of milk in there and definitely don’t use full cream milk.
- Drink while so hot that it burns your tongue a little.
6. Who is your favorite visual artist? Why?
For favourite artist Salvador Dali hands down wins this round! I love the surrealist depiction of real life issues and I love the melting clocks and how they represent what was a real issue in his world and just fit so perfectly into his made up world.
“The only difference between me and a madman is that I’m not mad. ”
-Salvador Dali
However my favourite painting is The Scream by Edvard Munch. I think my own artist style is quite influenced by Munch’s as well.
There are other artists I love too like Frida Kahlo, Rene Magritte and Matisse…
7. Could you tell me the story about the last time you took a photograph?
These days most of the photographs that I take are documenting my baby’s development and the size of my belly – so not all that exciting. I usually take a photo on Saturday morning on my way out the house as Saturday’s are the days that we count weeks by.
Although this last weekend, we were visiting my grandparents and needed to get out the house for a bit so we went for lunch. The place we ended up was this beautiful rustic and down to earth place at the harbour. So I got to take some photos of the view and parts of the decor – it was beautiful.
8. And the story behind the last time you received a photograph (mobile-phone message, email, tagged in social networks…)
Last night. My brother-in-law sent a photo of his son (a very cute almost 2 year old) to the family group we have on our mobile phones.
9. So, this good friend of yours has obviously drunk too much and is telling horrible racist/sexist jokes at your dinner party. How do you deal with it?
I would call them on their behaviour and tell them it’s not appropriate and that I won’t tolerate such behaviour in my home. I would also very likely reconsider my friendship with that person as I don’t believe in associating myself with people who have underlying racist/ sexist tendencies.
10. Where do you want to be five years from now? (this question was already given to me and I loved the challenge of answering it!)
Oh these kinds of questions always make me think so far into the future. Surely I should just have this at my fingertips but I’m currently going through so many life changes that it’s maybe not as obvious as it should be. I hope that my blog will be successful and established by that time. I hope that I’m able to earn an income as an entrepreneur. I will by then have a five-year old child so I suppose I see myself running around doing a lot of mom type errands. I hope to be happy. I think happiness is the most important thing and if you can find a way to live in your happy place then that’s all that matters.
11. If they would make a movie of your life, who would have to play you? (same here)
Maggie Gyllenhaal. I think she’s amazing as an actress but I also think we look very similar so she would be a believable character. I love her cool and calm style but she’s so versatile that she’d be able to pull off any role.
Getting to know you…
So the traditional thing to do now is to ask a list of questions and then tag a few other bloggers in the list but instead I’m going to do things my way. I’m going to ask a few questions that I would love YOU to answer any one of.
Just pick any one that you relate to the most and leave your answer in the comments below! 🙂
- What makes you the most happy in your life?
- Are there things in your life right now that you wish you could change? Tell me about one of those things and how you would go about changing it.
- When you look back on your life, what is the one moment you wish you could live over?
- Do you consider what you do every day to be your calling, your career, your job or just what you have to do? Tell me what it is that you do.
- What does success mean to you?
- How did you end up in the career that you’re in?
- What vision did you have for yourself ten years ago – are you in that place you imagined?
- What has surprised you most about the way your life has turned out?
- If they would make a movie of your life, who would have to play you? (I just loved this question)
- What is the best part of the weekend for you?
Remember, you can pick any question you want to or none at all… leave your own below if you prefer! I just love questions like this that make you think about where you are in your life and the things that make us happy or how sometimes, what makes us happy isn’t at all what we thought.
Thanks again Patri for the original questions 🙂
Really looking forward to reading all your replies…
Loved your post and the thoughtfulness of your answers. As a mom, of course I love your tribute to mom.
Do you consider what you do every day to be your calling, your career, your job or just what you have to do? Tell me what it is that you do.
I consider what I do my calling and my career. For the past fourteen years I have been a social worker. I have worked in child welfare, as a therapist, at a nonprofit program that offered supportive housing to single parents, and at a hospital both medical and psychiatric. I love that I can help others and that I am used as a change agent in other’s lives. It’s amazing that I get to be a part.
I have worked in Community Development for the best part of nearly 15 years and often, my research has put me in situations that require asking very personal and intimate questions to people. I once had to interview high school students who were being raped in the school bathrooms and most of those kids needed way more than just someone like me asking the questions. I hold your career/ calling in very high esteem. You have to be a really special person to work in a field like that I love that there are people like you who make that choice! xx
5 What does success mean to me?
See number 2 of this post. Being a Mother who managed to raise this wonderful human being. Feeling proud and honoured. Thank you so much. ♡♡♡♡♡ xoxo
Thank you mom <3 <3 <3
What does success mean to you?
It’s includes a few things: being able to go to the hairdresser whenever I want. Being able to buy a book or two a month, try a new restaurant occasionally, sign my kid up for any activities he wants, being able to save easily for holidays/trips – mostly it’s all things I didn’t have growing up, that I want to be able to give myself, and my family.
Also yesterday on John Maytham’s show on Cape Talk, a lady called in in utter distress. She had been unable to work – had been raped, brutal attacked and couldn’t walk easily – she was about to be kicked out of her home for not being able to pay that month’s rent. He asked her how much it was, she said R 3000, and he said he’d pay it. No if’s, but’s or hesitation at all. So that’s now been added to my definition of success, to just be able to do that for someone.
I am a little bit speechless. I listen to Johns show as often as I can. I am always fascinated by the kinds of things that people are willing to do for each other. In a world so filled with ugly, it’s amazing that people can be so incredible. Imagine the world of change that made to that woman. I agree with you, success is about being able to do the things you want to do with your life.
I once interviewed a woman in a township and I asked her, if you could have ANYTHING in the world right now what would you want and she said “a chocolate bar – just to taste that chocolate would be everything” and that moment changed me. I went home and I cried for all the times I’ve eaten a full slab in one go when this woman has dreams…
My dad worked his life away so that we could have everything we needed. And we did. We went to the best schools and went on the most amazing holidays but when he died, we cried for all the time he had spent at work that we could never have back to spend with him. Happiness is what makes me feel successful – and that takes so many different forms.
Thanks for your awesome comment!
It was a moment that had me helped restore my faith in humanity.
I agree working your life away does leave you with not enough time with those you work for, but there are ways to balance it. It’s about taking that job that will allow less time spent commuting or on after hours work, instead of the one where you earn more but don’t get to enjoy those earnings in experiences with your family.
Life is, I’ve come to realise, all about finding a way to balance that which we want with that which we need to do to get those wants.
Totally with you on the take out!!!
I once considered moving to a small town but they didn’t have Mr Delivery so that didn’t work out 😛
Thanks for taking up the challenge Jonelle! It is such a well written post! It provides a good insight on your life and personality and it is really enjoyable to read 🙂 You and your mum look very alike and I can see many of her strength traits in the way you face life: unapologetically!!! The description of the perfect cup of tea is very personal and commonplace at the same time. I loved reading it!
My two cents for today …
What is the best part of the weekend for you?
Sunday morning. There are always errands to run on a Saturday, but Sundays are different. In the morning and early afternoon it is like time is suspended and I am allowed to let it go, relax, do whatever pleases me. It usually includes staying in bed for lazy or acrobatic reasons, reading, cooking and going out to do some photography.
Thanks Patri 🙂 I loved doing this challenge… I love thinking about things that I wouldn’t normally consider (I hate boring questions and none of yours were boring)… The older I get the more and more I start to look like my mom and over the years people have struggled to tell us apart on the phone. We actually sound the same too. Hehe… lucky for me my mom rocks 🙂 Thanks for your lovely words!
Ahhh I love Sundays too… my weekends are often very similar to yours (unless there is a family lunch planned) I also love to laze around in bed on Sundays with all the errands done.. Only thing about Sunday that I don’t like is that it has to end at some point!
xx
8. What has surprised you most about the way your life has turned out….I am most surprised that I am working full time as a plant manager in construction! It is so far removed from anything I ever saw myself doing but it turns out I am really good at it! I started as a receptionist, progressing to administration manager and then a complete change to become plant manager!
Fiona I’ve got to tell you that your answer rocks my world! I think that is such a male dominated world and love the fact that you started there as a receptionist and ended being the manager! Good on you!! I think that’s a lovely turn out 🙂
What vision did you have for yourself ten years ago – are you in that place you imagined?
10 years ago I was a young punk, only thinking of bands and parties, I most certainly would NOT have thought I’d end up married, expecting a child, and building a career in academia 10 years later!
I would most certainly not have thought that about you either Gerard 😉 Haha guess I’ve had a terrible influence on you… hehe <3