50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind
Part Three of Five
July 24, 2017
DougMaynard.com

At a site called MarcandAngel.com, I found these awesome questions. There are no right answers and there are no wrong answers. There is only what I answer. Yeah, that sounds cool to me too. So here is a five-part series where I will tackle all “50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind”, ten questions at a time. Will it free my mind? That’s the theory. My mind could use a good escape sometimes and this is cheaper than renting a motel room and getting drunk so… :Let’s do this and see what happens. Thoughts, comments and questions are all welcome and appreciated. And away we go…

Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?

Why not be a joyful genius instead? Not an option, right. Well, I’m a simple person and like to keep my life as simple and uncomplicated as possible. I don’t think I’m an idiot or simpleton though. Some may disagree, but so long as I’m content and happy and can take care of myself and those I care for, joyful simpleton it is.

Why are you, you?

Because if I wasn’t me, then who would I be? I am me because that’s who I am and what I do. It’s a dirty and thankless job, but someone has to do it and I’m good at it so…

Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?

Let’s see. I’m an asshole, don’t return calls, anti-social as hell and like to make perverted little comments when I’m drunk. But I’m also loyal, will give you the shirt off my back, remember your birthday and will make sure you always have a place to stay and food in your stomach. And if you need an ear and can get pass my anti-social quirks, I’ll always listen. So there are pros and cons to being my friend. Am I the kind of friend I’d want as a friend? Probably not, because I’m too freakin’ weird.

Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?

Definitely losing touch with a good friend who lives close, especially when you know it’s your own fault for being an anti-social ass-clown. You love them and want to see them and talk to them and be with them, etc, but your insecurities and fears, usually imagined and existing only in your mind, get in the way and put up walls that push them away. It really, really sucks.

What are you most grateful for?

Having a few great friends who haven’t given up on me and are still here, despite the ass-clown I’ve become over the years. I may not say it often, but I really do love and appreciate some of these fine people.

Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?

This is one of those damned if you do and damned if you don’t type questions. Hard decision, but my memories and my past experiences are what made me, for better or worse, who I am today and the man I am. If I don’t have them, who am I? And do I have anything? Tough call, but I think I’d go with keeping the old memories and moving on from there.

Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?

I think it is so yes…

Has your greatest fear ever come true?

Being fired from a job I loved? Check! Having my father and then my step-dad die? Check! Being locked up? Check! Losing friends and never having a chance to make things right? Check! Being in love and being cheated on and lied to? Check! Having good friends die? Check! Anxiety and panic attacks at the worst possible time? Check! Being molested as a child? Check! My brother and one of my best friends both killing themselves within a couple of months of each other? Check! Being homeless? Check! So most likely, the answer would be yes, although I can think of a few things that have not happened yet so who knows for sure. I got through all of that other stuff so whatever happens, I just deal.

Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?

Does it matter now? Not really, but did it matter then? Absolutely. Life has changed and I’ve changed and moved on from earlier times and days, but that doesn’t make the moments from the past any less important then or the pain any less real. It was what it was and at the time, it was a big deal. Now, not so much. That’s life and how things go. Oh well…

What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?

One memory that comes to mind is being up in Ohio, at my Grandma Vick’s house, just hanging out with my two cousins, in an old chicken coop that we cleaned out and fixed up as a clubhouse of sorts. A wild apple tree was just outside the door and we just used to spend hours in there, just talking and cutting the fool and just being kids. And why it’s so special is that later on in life, we grew apart and were never as close again. Clint went on to join the Marines and we haven’t talked in probably twenty-five years at least. Cliff does tattoos and is a rather successful artist, making Mosaic pictures (I think that’s the proper term) out of used roach papers. I miss those guys and just the closeness we all had then, just crazy cousins who spent the summer young, dumb and innocent. Good times to be sure.

And there you go, with Part 3 now finished and complete. I had originally planned to do one part of this per day for five days, but I don’t have the patience for that right now. But Parts 4 and 5, the final twenty questions will have to wait. It’s nearly 4:00am and I need to get up in three hours to go get the brakes on my Blazer fixed. So I’m out of here for real this time. Time to toss and turn and try to sleep. Thank you for reading and I’ll see you later. Take care.

Ubuntu!