Sunday Meme: What if ... ?

1 ....you could bring one character from your favorite book to life, who would it be?

I enjoy the quiet wisdom of characters like William of Baskerville (The Name of the Rose) and Marko Ramius (Hunt for Red October), but since both of these are played in film by Sean Connery, I’ll leave those as tied for the number two slot and select Gandalf (Lord of the Rings). I’d find it intriguing to see his world through his eyes!

2....you could solve one of history’s unsolved mysteries, which would it be?

I thought at first that I’d really like to know exactly why and how stone monuments like Stonehenge were created, but recent archeological evidence seems to suggest that such formations were places of burial, and that cremations were performed there. I figure the academics will have it all figured out without my help. The mystery that next came to mind was that of The Iceman, Otzi. We don’t know a lot about what life was like when he lived (4th C. BCE), and I feel like it’s nothing like what we imagine it to be.

3....you were stranded on a deserted island, what 2 people would you chose to be stranded with?

Well, certainly Wifeness would be one, and not only because it’d be great to spend all that quality time together (figures, though, that we wouldn’t be alone), but because between the two of us, we could figure out how to either get off the island or live quite happily together on it. The second person would probably need to be someone like Les Stroud, whose knowledge would be indispensable if we were destined to be there a while.

4....you could spend a day with any celebrity, dead or living, who would it be?

As I get older and realize that celebrities are real people, just like me, I’d want to spend that time with someone whose real self I truly admired and from whom I feel like I would learn something. The first name that pops into my head is Emperor Kangxi of China. I feel like he has that quiet wisdom I admire, and that he is a good judge of people and how to work with, not against them. The link above is clearly biased, but is the closest one I could find that portrays Emperor Kangxi as I learned about him first. Wikipedia’s entry on him is decidedly more evenhanded.

5....you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I am, I believe, an excellent judge of people, but I am still learning how to use that skill to communicate effectively. Sometimes, I just don’t recognize what to say or do fast enough to be helpful or supportive at the right time. I would love to be instantly better at simultaneously reading and interacting with people.

6....you could live anywhere, where would you live?

For a long time now, it’s been central France. The Loire Valley just gets me in a soft spot. Perhaps, when the school is built and we’re ready to retire, I can convince Wifeness to buy a small villa there.