The Big Questions

Stargate Actors

Do you have answers to the big questions?

 

You know when you’ve gone on a training course, group/team day or similar and they ask you to introduce yourself and then tell you which famous person (dead or alive, because apparently smell isn’t a concern at training facilitators dinner parties) you’d like to have dinner with?

 

Well, apart from the time that I said hitler I’ve always had to think really hard about it. See, I don’t have idols. Sure, there are many people I’d like to meet, or have been thrilled to meet. Or nerdgasm’d to have been jumped on by:

 

Stargate Actors

 

But my point is, I don’t daydream about having dinner with them. I never think about it when I’m not being asked in a small training room.

 

I don’t know if that’s a “big” question as such.

 

But the other, bigger one is “when you were a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?”

 

I literally don’t know. I don’t remember ever having daydreams about this or that. I can remember a whole two instances when I thought about being a singer. I can remember about how I’ve written in one form or another my whole life. I don’t remember it being a want as a kid. It was something I did, but I don’t know if that qualifies it as a dream.

 

What is the meaning of life?

 

Of course, the ultimate big question is “what is the meaning of life?”. In my view it is answerable but not define-able.

 

The meaning of life is whatever you want it to be. And 42.

 

How do you handle “the big questions”?

 

22 Replies to “The Big Questions”

  1. At one stage when I was a kid I wanted to be a pianist when I grew up. When I performed Mama Mia in a concert once I thought I was well on the way. Then i became a teenager and playing the piano didn’t seem so cool anymore. I always wanted to be a singer. I wanted to be a member of the Young Talent Team. That didn’t happen but I did end up singing in pubs and clubs for a while back in the day. I never really did bother with answering those big questions up until NOW. Now I am very much into reflection and analysing and reassessing. I think it is because at 52 you know that you have less life left than that already lived and you want to be sure to spend what time is left well. Hope that makes sense! lol #TeamLovinLife

    1. Oh I can just remember Young Talent Time when I was a kid! They were *the* coolest.

  2. It’s a weird question anyway – I wouldn’t know either.
    My answer to the big question is – a mum I always wanted to be a mum.

    1. It really is a strange question. I don’t know why people can’t be more creative with their “get to know you’s”!.
      It’s awesome you’ve always known your answer.

  3. I always wanted to be a teacher or a ballet teacher when I was growing up. I actually achieved the second. You are right in your last comment – whatever you want it to be. Thanks Min!

    1. Oh that’s fantastic Sue! I think so many people get discouraged from the arts that I love to hear when people made it part of their lives.

  4. My “who do you want to have to dinner” changes every day. This week it’s Gina from Real Housewives because the Hubster met her at the airport on the weekend. He texted me to photo and my response was “invite her for dinner”. For real. I would love to just get to know her. But I’d also like to get to know a bunch of other people, including the guy who has been making pro Trump comments on my blog post of last Thursday. What makes him tick? I’d like to invite him to dinner.

    I guess my answer to that question would be “it depends what day it is”.

    As for what I wanted to be when I grew up. Well, I wanted to either be veterinary assistant or secretary. As it turns out I was both! I spent 13 years as the Senior Executive Assistant to the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer. Go figure! Not quite what I’d had in mind as a kid, but I’ll take it.

    #TeamLovinLife

    1. My answer to most things depends what I feel at that moment haha!

      That’s a pretty cool combination of your two interests.

  5. I’m bad at those types of questions as well Vanessa. Or if asked to identify who I admire or something. I can’t just rattle names off. I’d have different traits from different people.

    And as for the meaning of life…. even Monty Python’s team didn’t work that one out!

    1. Good point. If Monty Python couldn’t work it out, we sure can’t!

  6. I remember as a kid being obsessed with certain celebrities like George Harrison from The Beatles and Davy Jones from the Monkees, so I guess I would like to have them at my table for a dinner party. Otherwise as for a career, I always wanted to be a singer or dancer. How funny is that?

    1. That sounds like it would be an entertaining dinner party!

  7. Haha, I loved your insouciant take on answering these sort of questions. I’m a bit like Kathy above, I would have loved to sit next to Davy Jones at dinner when I was younger – or better still Donny Osmond! That perhaps doesn’t say much for my ambitions – no Nobel Prize winner or anything cerebral for me! Today, I’d like to sit next to anyone who makes me laugh – famous or not. When I was young I wanted to be a show jumper, a singer or a writer. Pick one!

    1. I like that you would choose someone who will make you laugh. That’s a great quality.

  8. I have to answer big questions from my kids on a regular basis. My son, in particular, asks the most philosophical questions and often blows me away. More times than not, I have no idea how to answer them. #TeamLovinLife

    1. I love that kids have inquisitive minds. I hope they keep them 🙂

  9. I hate the big questions…when I try to answer them for myself I mean. So, I avoid them when i am feeling anxious. I was fortunate to know that I liked little kids, was an organised person and enjoyed helping people so a teacher was my goal. I was not a student nerd nor had huge goals of achievement.. my social life at high school was more important. However, I did remember that I’d better study to get to be a teacher ..in Year 12..and succeeded. In fact, i know I was meant to do because it has always come naturally.

    1. Big questions are so easy to overthink on, so I can totally understand needing to avoid them at times.

  10. I’ve always overthought that dinner party question – it’s usually 5 people and I’m like “but what if I invite someone who’s really domineering and takes over the whole conversation or the guests don’t get on and what if I don’t get to talk to everyone equally and do I have to do the cooking, and will it be at my house?”

    The other question I hate is “where do you see yourself in five years?” especially in a job interview context. Urghhh. “Employed, hopefully”.

    1. Haha overthinkers unite! I would so do that too. The five years one is such a bad question – I mean most interviews have the possible immediate supervisor in them, so of course if you want to progress in your career, the answer is likely “in your job”.

  11. I wanted to be a writer; a librarian; or a fashion designer. Have managed two out of three so far! My answer to your question regarding the meaning of life is very similar to what I just commented on Deb’s post today about success: making the most of what you have been given (gifts, talents, resources)… usually to benefit others.

    1. Nice going! Two out of three is better than most people get to.

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