GraniteGrok

So here are the questions with my responses.

1) What haven’t you done yet in your life that you’d really like to do someday? Why? Will you do any of those things in the near future? Are you making progress toward them?

I really would like to go to Australia as it has been a source of curiosity for me.  And perhaps Japan.  I'm not planning on accomplishing these in the near term, but still have them on my radar screen.

I did somewhat accomplish another goal - owning my own business, working for myself - when TMEW and I taking over a failing daycare.  Three years later we were just starting to reap the rewards of a lot of hard work, money, and lots of delayed gratification.  Unfortunately, TMEW became ill, so first things came first - we closed it down.  Maybe if this blogging schtick works out....

2) If you could completely start your life over from scratch, what would you do differently the second time around (if anything)? Why?

Forget the Bio degree and would have gone right into Software Eng from the get-go.  While I would have gone to work for the large companies that I did, I would have learned more about "business" in general much earlier. I look back in time now and see several opportunities that I either ignored or didn't persue that I should have.

One thing that I would not change is the woman that I married.  We have had our ups and downs and faced very serious challenges together (most of which will never be discussed here, but suffice it to say, I have seen many other marriages end over them).  While there are things about her that drive me absolutely nuts at times (and am quite sure that I do the same for her), I would still ask "Will you?" and hope that I would hear again "I do".

In this respect, I have been well blessed. 

 

3) What do you think you’ll be like when you’re 70, 80, 90, possibly even 100 years old? Where do you think you’ll be living, and what activities do you think you’ll enjoy?

I want to be able to stay active.  Unfortunately, my body is already starting to break down, so I hope my mind will not follow suit.  I would love to keep on blogging as I have the last few months in order that I might make a difference to at least a couple of people (either in encouraging them or persuading others to shift course).  

I would love to go back to college again - professional student.  And if not, still running the company that I hope comes along!  I don't think that I will ever be like my stepDad that early retired to the rocking chair - I'd go out of my mind!

And I have learned that I like to write, so I hope to do so for quite some time to come, and learn how to do it better with the passing of time.

Probably be living in the same house we've been in for the last 20 years in Central NH where we enjoy all five seasons (yup!  we have "Mud season" that takes place inbetween the time that the last snow melts and greenery arrives).  Mountains all around, the Big Lake 10 minutes away, seacoast 2 hours away, and the big City the same. With high speed Internet, what more would I want?

Why be anywhere else? 

 

4) What ages do you think have been the best for you so far? Why? What do you think of your current age…are you enjoying it? Are you looking forward to your next birthday?

My late 20's / early 30's were fun...starting to achieve success in my career path and with a growing family.  Lots of friends to boot - what not to like? 

However, the years after that, thru the mid 40's - perhaps not so much.  Changes in my industry were tough, and keeping a family afloat during the recession and with "tough situations" was sapping.  But we made it through.

Arrgghh - what a time for this question as I am within months of the the big Five Oh.  Am I looking forward to it?  Well, in one way, no, as it starts to bring up the fact that we all have only a finite amount of time on this ball of mud.  I'm not all that inclinded to want to dwell on that fact just yet, as that event is much closer than not.  It does force me to contemplate that question - achievement or significance?  Have I achieved all that I wanted - no.  Do I still have a shot at some - yes!  Will I be able to do it as well as I might have if I had started earlier - no and yes (and more yes than no as I hope that I have picked up a modicum of wisdom and reasoning over the years that plain youthful brashness and eagerness cannot supplant). And have I made a difference?  One hopes with my sons, yes, but only time will tell.  With my wife - I think so.  Friends - mixed bag. 

Enjoying myself now?  Yes.  It has been a long, hard struggle for TMEW and myself to get here (gosh, I will have been married to the same person for just over half my life:  woo-hoo!), and I am hoping that as I get to stay home more and the responsibilities of having others in the home at the same time go away, TMEW and I will have more time to be a Couple again.  We realize that we will have to work hard at it, as with all of this new found time that our sons had taken up, we have to court each other all over again.