Answers (7)

It continues ...

30) What's been the biggest mistake so far in your life and what did you learn from it?

I found this one so hard! Actually, we all did, and in fact, it's still blue-tacked to the wall because none of us has really come up with a satisfactory answer, but we were at a bit of a standstill so just sort of left it there while we moved on to the next one!

Don't get me wrong ... it's not as if I haven't made plenty of mistakes: I'm pretty sure I've got a whole heap of things wrong, and that I've hurt both others (if that's you, sorry about that) and probably at times myself by my choices and my actions. I'm sure I've had times where I have knowingly made the wrong choice, and there are plenty of occasions where with the benefit of hindsight I might (but also might not) have done something differently. I'm not in denial about that ...but whatever those things are, I've also moved on from them and let them go. I've had, all in all, a pretty easy and privileged life so far, but even the bits that have been the hardest, and the choices that may or may not have been mistakes, have been part of shaping the me I am today: and I have no regrets about who and where I am.

31) What matters the most to you?

What, not who. That was the clarification for this one. Because, yes, people and community would probably have been my go-to answer, but with that excluded I had to think again.

I think then, aside from people, it is having some sort of purpose and feeling like I can have a positive impact on the world which matters most to me.

32) If you could do one thing and get away with it, what would it be?

A lot of different people visited while this one was up on the board ... and many and varied were the ideas (and that's just the ones people felt able to share publicly!) We established that it was 'get away with' not just in a legalistic sense,but genuinely, no repercussions,no guilt, ... 

In the end I settled for acquiring one of the right wing newspapers, changing it to a progressive one without people stopping buying it, and in so doing having a major influence over the opinions and values of the population; and thereby significantly change the political landscape of the country. I do realise there are a number of flaws in the plan (I don't want the former owners to financial benefit from my acquisition of it, deep down, I don't really want one newspaper to hold such deep influence over people, even if it is saying things I agree with, and so on ...) But hey, we can all dream ...

33) If I could change one thing in my life, what would I change and why?

I write this as we approach the end of 2019... which is a year in which I have experienced a fair amount of change one way or another. To be honest then, right now, the answer I want to give is that I think I would choose not to have any more change for a little while, that I want to first give myself time to allow the current changes to settle into place before looking ahead to the next desire for newness and adventure ... which I'm sure will come again soon enough! 

It is interesting (to me at least, perhaps not to anyone else!), that this is how I feel as I reflect on this question. Interesting because it is probably relatively unusual. I think most of those who know me have long given up on the idea that I might "grow up, settle down", and they're right ... I love living a life in which I'm able to be open to turning off down unexpected side roads which open into incredible possibilities. But today is a day for walking down the path I'm currently on, and knowing that's ok too.

34) If you could have anybody else's life, who's would you take?

You know what, actually, I think I'll keep my own. I know my life may not be perfect: but overall, it's hard to imagine anyone else's is much better. I have all the material wealth I need to live an extremely comfortable and privileged life; I have a sense of vocation and a fulfilling work life. I have a faith which sustains me; I am involved in loads of different things which add variety and interest to my week; I have endless opportunities for fun and laughter; I have a wide community of different people to love and by whom I know myself to be loved. 

I am not only satisfied but happy with the life I live. I know that in itself is an immense privilege which I hope I will never take for granted.

This has been sitting unpublished in drafts for a while, but still, we have reached the end of our "year of questions" with a fair few still in the unasked questions jar. We have not yet, after the Christmas break, quite got back into the habit of drawing out a new one, but I think we probably will; so there may yet be a few more of these posts to come.