Let the game begin

well, since last night was not so good, i was up pretty early, so I decided to work on my interview questions, so here you are.

interview game
here's how the game works:

THE RULES
1 -- leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2 -- I will respond; I’ll ask you five questions.
3 -- you'll update your website with my five questions, and your five answers.
4 -- you'll include this explanation.
5 -- you'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.

My questions came from Scott. (damn good questions, Scott, they really made me think. Thanks!)

1) You’re very pro-women and active in a lot of different areas of women’s issues. If you could deliver one message to every woman on the Earth, what would it be?

Find yourself and be yourself! I feel that this statement definitely applies to everyone, but I have known so many women in my life that get lost in all the other people in their life that I think this statement is truly important for women to remember. They begin to forget who they are, maybe they never even knew themselves to begin with. As women, we are often told to always be there for others. Often times, women get their self worth by helping others or by making sure everyone else is ok. I would want all women to know that it is ok to take time to find out who you are and be that person. Not only is it ok, but it is necessary. Everyone needs to take the time to find out what makes them tick. What they like, what they dislike, what they believe, their opinions, what they want to do for a living, who they want to love, etc. Many women seem to find a man to attach to because they think that is what they are supposed to do and yet they never really find out who they are. I’ve seen too many amazing women that get lost in the background of a perfect relationship. Take time to know yourself. Don’t let what others say or think about you affect your journey of self exploration. Know that no matter what others say, you can do or be anything you want to be, you just need to get out there and make it happen. Know that you can be whatever you want. Anything, a politician, a police officer, a mother, an astronaut, a race car driver, a teacher, a nurse, a lawyer, a doctor, even president. No one is going to take care of this part for you. No one, but you, can figure out who you are and where you want to go in this world.

2) I know you’re clamoring to get the hell out of the Dallas area. What are some of the things you’ll miss though? And, conversely, what are the things you won’t miss at all? What are you looking forward to somewhere else?

The more I think about leaving Dallas, they scarier it gets. I have lived in Texas most of my life, either in the Dallas area or in Austin. I like both cities, but I guess I feel like I want to see more of what the world has to offer. I have even thought about moving back to Lebanon for a few years after I graduate. Maybe help them set up some type of prevention education/therapy program at the AUB (American University of Beirut). I just don’t want to ever settle on a place to live just because it is comfortable.

Having said that, if I ever leave Dallas, I will miss many things starting with my family and friends. It is so wonderful to have my family and friends (that I consider family) all living in the same area. I do have several wonderful friends that live out of state, but I also have many wonderful friends that I feel like I can really depend on here in the Dallas area. I will also miss the Velvet Hookah!! I will miss hanging out at mark and natalie’s place with a few good friends and just talking the night away. I will also miss the convenience of this area. Everything is so convenient, all the stores I need anything from are right near my apartment. I think to some extent, I will also miss the gay ghetto (Oak Lawn). I think I will also miss the few connections that I made as far as my career is concerned. If I move, I will be starting over with that aspect.

As far as what I wont miss, I certainly wont miss the fakeness of people in parts of dallas. I would like a few more granola people around, like up in Cali or even Austin. I wont miss living in a conservative state. I wont miss meeting people with such conservative views. Now, I understand that there will be people with views different than mine anywhere I move, but I would rather there be more people who agree with me than less people as I feel now.

I am looking forward to a more progressive area. I want to be able to freely discuss my views with people who may not have the same views, but are at least open to learning something new. I look forward to being near a coast. If I decide to raise children, I want them to be raised in a more progressive area and around people who are open to new ideas. I look forward to being able to see and learn new things about a new area of the country or world. I guess the whole idea behind wanting to leave Dallas is so that I can see what else is out there.

3) What would your ideal living quarters (house, apartment, loft, etc.) be like, inside and out?

It depends on the time in my life and on my financial situation. Well, if we are talking right now, I really love my new apartment. Now, lets pretend that the finances do not matter and we are talking about a few years down the road. I would love to live in a small home by the beach. I think it would be amazing to wake up every morning to the sound of the waves crashing against the beach. I would also love to go out on my balcony with a warm cup of coffee and sit and watch the waves. It would be so peaceful. The inside of my apartment would have a black couch and a red love seat. A modern glass coffee table with a pimp entertainment center. Surround sound, the works so that movies can be watched in the best of conditions. I would want my home to have lots of color, the primary colors, reds, blues, greens, yellows. I really like the modern style of decorating.

4) You’ve got $2,500 and three days with no responsibilities. What do you do?

I wish I could say that I would do something totally crazy and unselfish, but with the level of exhaustion I am usually feeling and the level of selfishness I dont usually allow myself, I think I would just treat myself to all the things I do not normally let myself have. I think I would take one day and have a whole spa day for me and my sis. Massages, manicure, pedicure, facials, the works. Then, I would take my sis and we would go buy all those things that we want, but don’t have the money to buy. Then, we could come back home and enjoy all the wonderful, material things we just bought. It would be so perfect.


5) Describe your life as you see it 25 years from now. Do you have a family? What do you do for a living? For fun?

Wow, tough question. Well, I see myself still working as a social worker in some way. Maybe still working with adolescents, maybe even teaching at a high school or college level. I think I would like to have a family someday, but I really can’t plan that all out. It depends on if I meet the right man and the time is right to start a family. My career is very important to me. I feel that I have the skills and motivation to help others and that is very important to me right now. That all might change in the future. I think I would be happy still single and pursuing my career surrounded by wonderful friends and family 25 years from now. I think I would also be happy married with a family, while finding time to pursue my career. I think I would still spend much time traveling and seeing the world. At that point in my life, if I can afford it and can find the time, I would like to do all the things that I said I wanted to do in my life and never got the chance. Skydiving, swimming with dolphins, traveling to all kinds of amazing places, own a phat old car that I can take the time to work on (since I will have learned much more about cars by then), if possible fall in love again and do all these things with the man I fall in love with. This is a really tough question when I am not sure if there will be that one significant person in my future. I want to find him, but I also know that I can be happy with my life if I do not find him. Again, very deep and tough question, I like it.