Shoot Feast and Ask Questions Later

Friday's Feast, 8 April 2005.

Appetizer What is a symbol that inspires you?
The symbol for infinity (the little 'sideways-8' thing) inspires me. It puts me in mind of eternity and of the endless possibilities of life. It reminds me, like Horatio, that there is more in heaven and earth than our philosophies even dream of.

Soup Name something (either serious or funny) that has happened in your life that you would consider a miracle.
Well, there was the time that my brother and I were off-roading in Montana and he drove us off the side of a mountain. We went straight down the very steep hillside, knocking down small aspen trees like wheat before a combine at harvest time. We were headed straight for a large tree, and we ended up not hitting the trunk, but fitting the front of Mom's Jeep almost perfectly beneath the lowest branch. It was a good thing, too, because had we missed that tree, we would have hit a field of boulders shortly thereafter. Neither of us were hurt, just a little frightened. The Jeep suffered only cosmetic damage; my family drove it back to Colorado three days later. Talking later that night, my brother and I talked about how many things went right in that situation, when they could have gone very badly wrong. I consider that a miracle.

Salad How do you handle criticism?
Poorly, in most cases. I tend to get angry and/or defensive at first. Then, when I've taken time to think about it a little, I tend to become very self-critical. It takes a while to establish an equilibrium. Fortunately, most of this goes on in my head, so nobody else ever knows about it.

Main Course Complete this sentence: I feel alone when...
. . . I'm standing in a room full of people I don't know.

Dessert Name one TV show you wouldn't want to be caught dead watching.
Just one? Wow, there are so many worthy nominees. But, for the sake of simplicity, I'll go with The O.C. . . . or pretty much anything else from the FOX prime-time lineup, for that matter.