I’ve been finding myself participating in fewer and fewer of these (and I do need to update my link list to that end). I’m not sure why. Part of it is that the novelty of the meme has worn off. Part of it is that the same questions keep coming up. And part of it is just that things change.
Hmmmm.
Anyway, here’s the Thursday Thumb-Twiddler, which, I promise you, will be the last one I drop …
1. If, by sacrificing your life, you could contribute so much to the world that you would be honored in all nations … (a) would you be willing to do so? (b) would you be willing to do so if someone else you thoroughly despise would get all the credit while you went unrecognized?
I must confess that being honored the world over has less appeal to me these days than it once did, particularly if it was posthumously. I have a wife and daughter, and they get first dibs on my life. That being said, if it really was that big a deal, it would probably be worth it, regardless of whether I got credit or not. The only person I’d need to know would be Margie.
2. You discover, unexpectedly, that a former friend (who you no longer like) has given your name as a character reference for a job application. The ex-friend is qualified for the job, but do you give them an honest thumbs-up?
I take such things seriously. I would try to be objective about the person’s professional merits and qualifications. I would also probably let my personal opinion color any “character” reference (which, I suppose, is part of what a character reference is), and would certainly mention that s/he had not mentioned they were using me as a ref (with just the right amount of puzzlement in my voice, coupled with wry bemusement of, “Well, that’s typical.”).
3. If you could write a sequel to any movie you wanted, what movie would it be?
I’m tempted to say Star Wars (whether we’re talking Ep. I, III, or VII), just because Lucas is doing such a screwball job of it. But I think I would probably do Raiders of the Lost Ark, just because, given the SW example, I don’t trust that the impending Raiders sequel is going to be what it should be. (Now don’t ask me what it should be until we have a contract signed.)
I too noticed that the memes don’t appeal so much anymore. The questions are repetitive, and there’s something about the structure that I resist (I did memes every day in July and realized I was obsessive and had to limit them). But I did enjoy reading your answers to TGOF and I may try my hand at it.
That’s sort of become my model — if I see questions that interest me, then I’ll do the Q&A, otherwise, not. It’s not like I have a shortage of things to write about.