I want to say that I first saw this survey posted by Prosebox user "LadyZ" a few days ago, though I've seen other PB'ers post their responses. I figured that I'd go ahead and throw in my two cents by replying to the questions below.
Do you often daydream or fantasize about something?
Being that I am a man, I admit that I think about and fantasize about sex all the time. I do not think that is unusual behavior. I don't know if that sort of thing is ever going to stop either. Beyond sex, I really don't fantasize about much else.
What extracurriculars did you take in school?
None. Well, actually, I don't know if that's entirely true. I know that a lot of my teachers in high school recommended and even emphasized engaging in extracurricular activities, especially if I intended to apply to a university, but I chose not to involve myself with any extracurricular activities. I just didn't care to. The most I ever did was play junior varsity and varsity football. That was it. Two years total. I didn't participate in any other kind of extracurricular activity. My introverted brain didn't find such activities to be even remotely appealing. In terms of my physical build when I was in high school, I was built for football. But as far my mental build, I wasn't built for any of that extracurricular nonsense and so I avoided it completely.
Which movie would you say resembles your life the most?
If I had to pick a single movie, it would be Idiocracy. Sometimes, I'm left feeling that as time progresses, the world around me gets dumber and dumber and no one seems to see it or care. The movie paints a very eerie picture of what the future of the country could look like if intelligence and common sense continue to be devalued, if not completely disregarded.
Do you ever get deja vu?
Maybe. Through the years, maybe I've experienced that whole "I think I've been here/there before" on occasion. It is truly one of those hard to explain phenomena.
What kind of toys did you like as a kid?
I did the action figure thing growing up. I collected He-Man, G.I. Joe, Transformers, and a multitude of other toys and figures. Even in adulthood, I still collect figures, though not so much to play with, but instead as decorations. I don't care how that looks to others.
Do you vote?
No.
Are you careful about the type of media you pay attention to?
Not really. I suppose I don't care that much. Television is okay. YouTube doesn't bother me. I can do Spotify all day. I occasionally delve into the realm of online porn. As it stands, I'm not on social media in any capacity and I am in absolutely no hurry to join those ranks either.
Have you ever successfully given up a bad habit?
I'll say "Yes" to this one. When I was a teenager and still in high school, I hated how people (including myself at the time) overused and heavily relied on the word "like" in their everyday manner of speech. It bothered me because as far as I saw it, "like" was a filler word and wholly unnecessary in many of the sentences it was excessively utilized. I couldn't stand and still can't stand listening to people who overuse "like" in every sentence that they utter. It irritates me to this very day, but when I was in high school, I was determined to stop using the word "like" as a means of sentence filler. It took some effort, but by the time I graduated high school, I had succeeded in eliminating "like" from my spoken vocabulary. Small victory perhaps, but it's still a victory. Like, really.
Would you call yourself a mindful person?
Yes.
Did you get a job in your field after you’ve graduated?
At first, I didn't. After I graduated from USC, I landed a job as an airport shuttle driver in San Diego. My goal immediately after graduation was to secure a job, any job really, as soon as I left the university and then figure out my job situation "for real" in the months that followed. Above all else, I wanted to have some form of income established. I drove for that airport shuttle company for about six months before deciding that it was finally time to put that degree to use. Eventually, I accepted a position at an adolescent treatment facility as a child care worker.
Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid?
I did not. I barely wanted real people as friends, so why would I conjure up imaginary ones?
Do you ever think of pursuing a new career path?
I don't. I've been in the same career for about 23 years now. I'm not going anywhere at this point. Consider me firmly entrenched. As it stands, I enjoy what I do, except for having to work with the questionable quality of people who plague my office and the department as a whole. I'm definitely using my degree and after all these years, and I'm still going strong.
What would you do to pass time if you were shut inside a small cabin, alone for 3 months, high up in the mountains?
Pretty much what I do now when I'm not working. Assuming that I'd have electricity, I'd find a way to watch YouTube. I'd still be gaming. I'd continue doing my writing. As an added bonus, I wouldn't mind spending some much-needed quality time with a certain special lady.
Did your family have money when you were growing up?
My parents did not have a a lot of money when my siblings and I were growing up. Still, Mom always ensured that none of us ever went without, even if it meant going into more debt to make it happen. She was always opening new credit cards, often without Dad's consent. She would just do it. Still, we never went without. We never starved. We always clothes and shoes to wear. My childhood was pretty good.
Is it easy for you not to take sides in family arguments?
It is. I can stay impartial. My siblings know this, as does Dad. I tend not to get involved in situations that don't involve me. I might have an opinion about what's going on, but that doesn't mean that I always share what I'm thinking. I'm not confrontational and I tend to avoid those situations. Most of the time, I just don't care. My siblings can argue amongst themselves and leave me out of it.
What do you think about reality TV?
Reality TV, if not all television, is terrible. I don't care for reality TV and I never have. I don't watch television and really haven't since I was about 12-years old. Reality TV could die and I wouldn't care. I probably wouldn't even notice.
Do you like celebrating your birthday?
I do not. Even as a child, I never cared much about celebrating my birthday. I don't like being the center of attention, so birthday parties were never something I wanted or ever hoped for. I would sooner celebrate my birthday by myself.
What was your favorite game as a kid?
I don't have a favorite video game growing up, being that I played a wide variety of games during those years. Street Fighter II was definitely a game that captivated me back in 1991. I'll admit that and I know I wasn't the only one who got caught up in the Street Fighter craze that ran rampant in the 90's. As far as board games, I really liked Clue growing up, though I would also play Monopoly and the occasional Connect Four.
Do you care how you’re going to be buried?
I haven't put much thought into it, to be honest. I thought about cremation, which is the direction we went with Mom. Standard burial perhaps? I don't know.
Do you keep in contact with your schoolmates?
Not with anyone I went to high school or middle school with. Once I knew where I'd be going to college, I pretty much had convinced myself that I was not going to keep in touch with anyone from high school, unless they wanted to. As far as my college days, I just kept in touch with JB. I think he kept in contact with much of our circle from USC, so I think that through him, I could be put in contact with any of the guys we hung out and went to school with, that is, if I ever chose to.
What portion of a billion dollars would you give to charity?
Oh, I don't know. A billion dollars is a lot of money. I donate money to various causes now as it is, and I'm nowhere the level of being wealthy. I imagine that I'd continue to do that sort of thing, maybe just on a larger, grander scale.
Did you do well in school?
I always did well in school, I liked school, so I tended to excel in my studies. I even spent some time in what I came to be known as GATE (Gifted And Talented Education). I wasn't one of those students who was consistently breaking the 4.0 mark, but that was never something I sought to do every semester while I was in middle school or high school. I also wasn't one of those students who would become suicidal whenever I received a "B" or worse, whether this was on any assignment, test, or even as a final class grade. If I didn't get an "A", it was because I didn't earn it.
Have you ever stolen from a supermarket?
As a child, no. As an adult, I have, but I will admit that it was inadvertent, even though it happened a few times. Sometimes, I would forget that I had put those bottles of water under my shopping cart and I'd end up walking out of the store without scanning them through self-checkout. I paid for everything that was in the cart, mind you, just not those bottles of water. I've done it about it a handful of times.
Do you enjoy the thrill of gambling?
Not really. I don't care much for that kind of thrill. I don't gamble. I don't care for sports betting either. I like to hang on to my hard-earned money for as long as I can. I don't even like paying bills, but that's just one of life's necessary evils. Not that I think that Dad was trying to groom me to learn gambling or become accustomed to the practice at a young age, but when I was 4-years old, he taught me how to play blackjack, on the Atari 2600 of all places. I wouldn't learn that blackjack was a casino table game until many years later or even that people could bet money on every hand. But no, I don't give a fuck about gambling.
What’s your guilty pleasure food?
Back when I had a regular/normal appetite and could digest beef with relative ease, I used to love prime rib. I can still eat it today. I just can't eat as much of it in one sitting as I used to. I still love Mountain Dew, as much as I shouldn't be drinking it, being that I'm still diabetic. If we're talking sugar, I will also indulge in a Whatchamacallit bar whenever I can get one. As I've said before, I'm not the best diabetic.
How much time can you spend bathing?
I take showers, so I don't know if I'm answering the question. My typical showers run anywhere between five and 20 minutes, depending on how dirty I might be, but that doesn't mean that I can't take a 30, 45, or full-on hour-long shower, if the occasion calls for it. I will admit that it's been several years since I've taken the kind of shower that leaves me with pruney fingers.
What was your favorite subject in school?
Math. Oddly enough and as much as I enjoy writing as an adult, I didn't particularly care for English class when I was in middle school and high school. It was the reading that I wasn't fond of. I don't read much as an adult, but I still enjoy leisurely writing. Incongruent, perhaps? Yeah, maybe.
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