Interview

I was brave (stupid?) enough to jump into my friend, Keri's, ("Just a Family") invitation to answer some questions about my self. The question now is anyone else brave (stupid?) enough to take the challenge.

Here's how it works...

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by sending you 5 questions.
3. You update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You include this explanation and an offer to interview others.
5. When you receive the comment from another, you will send them 5 questions.

So, here are Keri's questions and my answers...

1. If you could be a historical character from actual life or from a book, who would you be and why? What would you do as this person?

Answer: There are plenty of choices here, but having to make a choice - I'll choose Brother Lawrence (1605 - 1691). Brother Lawrence was a monk in the Carmelites Order. For the first 15 years as a monk he worked in the kitchen. For the rest of his life he worked repairing the monk's sandals. Brother Lawrence learned what it meant to "pray continually" and "to do all things as unto the Lord." When he cooked or washed dishes, he cooked or washed dishes as unto the Lord and recognized God's presence with him as he did so. When he repaired sandals he repaired sandals as unto the Lord and recognized God was with him in the repair shop. All that he did, he realized that God was present with him at all times and in things. Throughout his life he corresponded with several people about what he was learning about "practicing the presence of God" in his life. These letters were collected after his death and published into a small book which is now a classic, "Practicing the Presence of God." If I were Brother Lawrence today I would do whatever God put into my life as unto him and realizing that he was present at all times. But, I'm not Brother Lawrence, so I'm content be me, with a wonderful wife, children and grandchildren. Yet, I want to learn, as he did, how to do all things as unto the Lord. When I ride Morgunn I want to do that unto the Lord and realize that God rides with me. When I wash the dishes after one of Betty's great meals, I want to wash them as unto the Lord and know without any doubt that God is with me.

2. What is the most important decision you've made in your life (other than marrying Betty and becoming a Christian) and why?

Answer: This one is the hardest question as you (Keri) disqualified the two obvious, easy answers. I will also assume that associated decisions such as putting God first in my life, deciding to have children, etc., are also disqualified. I could say joining the Navy as it helped me mature, gave me a broader knowledge of the world, and a deep appreciation for our wonderful country. I could say joining P&G out of graduate school as it gave me a good career, a good retirement, and living in a lot of different places where we met many great people. Those would be good, but not the most important. For me, other than the two you put out of bounds, the most important decision I have made is to try to be a better listener. Communicating with Betty, with my family, with friends and co-workers, and with those I come in contact with every day take up a big part of my day - every day. I realized that I wasn't a good listener. I would hear and begin to share what I wanted to say, but I wasn't really listening - actively listen to fully and truly understand what the other person was saying. Since I have been working on listening better I find all of my relationships, from my most important (Betty and family) to every day casual contacts are much richer, deeper and more meaningful. It's really fun to watch the faces of people who realize that you are really trying to listen to what they have to say. It's changed my life.

3. We have talked about how much fun we each had snorkeling. It was the first time I (Keri) had ever tried it. What activity do you want to try that you have never experienced?

Answer: This is easy. I have always wanted to fly in a sail plane. Betty and I have flown in a hot-air balloon twice and I love to fly in any size plane. But, I have never had the opportunity to sail just on the hot-air thermals.

4. You've mentioned that you became a Christian at age 30... was it a huge, pivotal moment or a quiet realization?

Answer: Both. I became a Christian in 1984 (interesting year to become a Christian) and it was both the worst year of my life and the best. The prior year P&G had moved me from a job I loved in Memphis to a job I hated in Cincinnati and I didn't see much hope for improvement in the future. The reason this was significant is that at that time my self-worth was wrapped up in my career. If I was doing well, I felt good about myself and vice-versa. Several other things happened that year and I don't have the space to detail them here. However, at a weekend retreat I was faced with the reality of Christ's death and resurrection. God basically said, "Either you believe in the resurrection or you don't. It's time to get off the fence." After struggling with that for several weeks, I finally said one night just before going to sleep, "OK, God. I'll try it your way. My way is not working very well." No lightning bolts or thunder. I just went to sleep. But, from that point on my life was changed, hence a pivotal moment, but the realization of that change was a slow, quiet realization. The first thing I noticed is that reading the Bible now began to make sense and was important to me where before I found it dry and dull.

5. What is your all-time favorite book or movie and why?

Answer: This is an easy one for me. My all time favorite movie is "A Man for All Seasons" which came out in 1966 (the year before Betty and I married). It's the true story of Thomas More who stood up to King Henry VIII when he rejected the Catholic Church so he could be divorced and remarry. More's dedication to his faith and to his principles, even above his family and his own life or death, made a deep impression on me. It's a way of living that I have endeavored to follow ever since.

OK, my inquisition is over. I found it fun and I learned some things about myself. Anyone else game to play?

Today is January 17 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Kid Rock (rapper), Michelle Obama (soon-to-be First Lady), Jim Carrey (actor, "The Truman Show"), Andy Kaufman (actor, "Taxi"), Muhammed Ali (formerly Cassius Clay, champion boxer), Shari Lewis (puppeteer), James Earl Jones (actor, voice of Darth Vader), Eartha Kitt (singer), Betty White (actress, "The Golden Girls"), Al Capone (gangster), and Benjamin Franklin (Revolutionary War era statesmen).

On this day in 1806 the first baby was born in the White House, the grandson of President Thomas Jefferson. In 1893 Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii was deposed in a bloodless revolution by a group of businessmen and sugar planters and a provisional government established, with annexation by the United States as its aim. In 1912 Robert Scott reaches the South Pole only a month after Amundsen. In 1917 the United States bought 50 of the Virgin Islands in the West Indies from Denmark for $25 million. And in 1972 Highway 51 South...also known as Bellvue Street...in Memphis was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard.