![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
interviewed by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ginamariewade
Pennsic. :-)
Ok, that's because of the people who show up and the cool stuff they bring with them. It's not much for sight-seeing if you aren't already part of the SCA. But in thinking about this question, I realized that I'm not much of a tourist. I mean, for similar reasons, I could say my grandmother's house (well, except that she is no longer living, so technically you can't go there), but that's because of the ties I have.
2. Who is the most inspiring person you have ever known?
For overall effect on my life, my father. For recent in-depth effect, my rabbi.
I've talked about my father in other recent entries. He encouraged me to be smart, which has less to do with scores on standardized tests and more to do with the way you go about solving problems and answering questions. And he's a good person, easy to talk with and spend time with.
My rabbi is amazing. He taught me that it's not inconsistent to be Reform and be observant. He encourages study and analysis, and is willing to study one-on-one with me. He's intelligent and articulate, and when I'm on the bima what's in the back of my mind is "I hope I can be a tenth as good at this as he is". So he pushes me to get better, to think about ethics and behavior in ways I didn't previously, to study more, to consider more observance -- much of it without realizing he's doing so, I suspect.
3. Were you ever bullied as a child?
Oh heavens yes. A lot. One of my classmates in particular was a real bully starting in first grade; he would pull necklaces off me (breaking the chains), hit, try to trip, and sling insults. The teachers were either ineffective or unwilling; I'm not sure which. There were many conferences with both parents, to no avail. The physical aspects eventually died down when an enlightened principal gave me blanket permission to fight back in a particular way. Specifically, I was using large-print books due to a vision problem, which meant I had special books that were about four times the volume of the regular text books, and he specifically told me to hit this bully with one of my books if I needed to. (I lamented the fact that I was not strong enough to wield the dictionary. :-) )
Non-physical bullying was a staple all through school, because I wasn't pretty, I had an obvious physical defect, I wasn't into the sports/cheerleader thing, and I was smart. This is an eperience that many of my (current) friends shared.
4. What are your ten favorite words?
Interesting question. I wonder if this is anything like what you had in mind. :-) (No, those aren't the words.)
Think. Question. Passion. Justice. Compassion. Connection. Fun. Life. God. Ginger. :-) (Hey, I had to throw in one silly one. But it's one of my favorite ingredients...)
5. What do you want to leave as your legacy on this earth?
That the world was in some way a better place because I was in it.
I hope I have a significant impact on my family, friends, and immediate religious community. If I am very lucky, some of what I do will have broader ripples. Maybe through my writing I can bring encouragement or insight to people I don't even know. Maybe through my involvement in the Jewish community I an lead other Reform Jews to take religion more seriously. Maybe through my music I can make people smile or think or sigh contentedly.
The rules:
1. Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2. I'll ask you five questions.
3. Update your journal with my five questions, and your five answers.
4. Include this explanation.
5. Ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.
no subject
no subject
no subject
2. You have been granted a one-hour audience with any person of your choosing, living or dead. A translator will be provided if needed. Who is it and what do you talk about?
3. You can relive one day from your past, but you can't change anything. What day is it and why?
4. What qualities do you look for in a friend?
5. What's your favorite comfort food?
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
2. What aspect of Judaism has surprised you the most -- maybe an observance you didn't think you'd like but did, or an idea that resonates with you that you didn't expect, or whatever?
3. What advice would you give to newlyweds?
4. Money is no object. Where do you live and how do you spend your days?
5. What is your favorite holiday and why?
no subject
2. What's your favorite guilty pleasure (book, TV show, food, whatever)?
3. The genie in the bottle will transport you to your choice of time and place, where you will invisibly and inaudibly follow one person around for 24 hours before popping back to your own time. Whom do you stalk?
4. You can transmit a message of no more than 50 words to the you of 5 years ago. It's a one-way transmission; you don't get to interact. What do you send?
5. What legacy do you hope to leave?
no subject
2. How do you go about writing filk songs? Do you have a routine, or do songs spring nearly-fully-formed from your brain, or what?
3. Among places you've never been, where would you most like to visit?
4. How do you think college-age Lynn would react to the Lynn of today? Would the two of you get along?
5. The time machine from the estate of your favorite eccentric professor is accompanied by the following note: "I wanted you to have this. I'm sorry I never got the 'forward' controls working, but everything else works fine. Remember to beware of squishing butterflies." Now what?
no subject
no subject
no subject
One more
no subject
Re: One more
1. What sparked you to become a ba'al teshuva? Was there some particular event, or was it a more gradual process?
2. Of the places you have lived other than Israel, which did you like the most and why?
3. You can send a one-way message of up to 50 words to high-school-aged Zach. What do you say?
4. What superpower would you most like to have?
5. What do you see as the biggest challenge of making aliya?