Who are we to say what the Answer is? Who are we to even say what the question is?

Oh wait, wrong question and answers. These are for _earthshine_'s meme:

Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."

* I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity.
* Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
* Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.

His questions for me (and my answers) are as follows:

1) What, if any, are your long-term plans in life (e.g., career, where you live, etc.)?
Geez, you don't start small, do you?

Mostly, I don't know. I am generally happy, but at the same time I don't feel there is much tying me to any of my current anchors. My career is progressing and I like it, but will I still be doing it in ten years? I do have some deep itch to do something a bit more independent (start something of my own), but I have no idea if or when I'll scratch that itch. Not sure. I like where I live, but I don't have a super-tight circle here, and the kids aren't too deep into school yet. I have no plans to do so, but I don't see it as implausible that I could, say, move back to NYC. Maybe really long term (after the kids are grown) I could see going by way of the wind and hitting the sea.

2) If you could become an true expert in one or two of your hobbies (ruling out any in which you already consider yourself one), which would they be?

Guitar technique. I've been playing guitar for 20 years now but I'm not where I wish I was in terms of technical proficiency. Artistically, it's all about exploring (I feel that art is discovered more than created) and I don't know that there really is such a thing as expertise in that. Most of my other hobbies (painting, photography, aikido, to name a few) fall into that category too - I wouldn't want to *poof* be an expert, because I do it for the journey and exploration, not the mastery.

As a second choice, investing.

3) What's your favorite breakfast cereal of all time?

Apple Jacks. They're like the grown-up (well, teenage) version of Fruit Loops.

4) If you could get with (by which i mean "get with") one famous person, past or present, consequence-free, who would it be?

A topic I've put surprisingly little thought into. I'm sure there's some really wild rides around, but I'm gonna go with first reaction and say Demi Moore.

5) If you could "play back" the memory of one hour of your life, what would you wanna experience one more time?

I thought of a few candidates for this, generally around inflection points in my life rather than singular memorable experiences. But to pick just one?

July 17, 1998, about 5-6am.

It was the day I left NH to drive cross-country to CA, and I got up early so I could watch the sunrise over the Atlantic ocean for the last time for quite a while. For me, it was embarking on a new journey wholly of my own choice, not simply because it was where life had led me. I didn't need to leave my job then, I did it because I wanted to do something new, to get out there, to live. It was merely coincidence that it was just over a week before my 25th birthday.

The chapters of my life came relatively slowly then, and they still do now. Mostly gradual changes, moving from one thing onto the next, but every once in a while, there's one of those moments, when you take a step outside the ordinary. Of course, those moments never last, because the next step after that is practically by definition, ordinary. It's only the first one that changes everything.