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06 May 2011
Time for another Friday Night Question, as chosen at random from The Book of Questions...→[More:]
#24- Are there people you envy enough to want to trade lives with them? Who are they?
ThePinkSuperhero: She has it all. Beauty, brains, a wonderful personality, a loving family, an adoring husband. The only thing I might not want from her life is Twinkie.
I'm trying to think if I'd want to trade, but it would depend on whether or not I get to be that person, or I just get their life but I'm still me. If I still have to be me, I think I'll stick with the life I have. If I get to become another person completely, there are a lot of people I'd trade with. For starters, I'd want to be well-dressed, successful businessman. Or a Mormon Mommy blogger. Or a 17-year old top model.
At this point in my life, the only thing I find myself envious of are other peoples' talents. There's a lot of things, mainly artistic ones, that I wish I had a knack for (or even a seedling that I could nurture and grow into something larger), but I've got my own talents that I'm working on and settling into those is kind of my primary focus.
Granted, I'm coming off a very positive week. In fact, probably the most positive week I've had in at least three years, Ask me again at a different time and my answer may change.
Heh, apoch. I wouldn't wish my persistent internal monologue on anyone. It's the primary reason I stay as busy as I do. Down time is rarely good for me.
I would never swap lives with anyone, because everybody hides a certain amount of pain. You can know someone your whole life and never know about some of the pain in their life. I'd be afraid, no matter how obvious the good parts of their life were, that there'd be something bad that they deal with bravely, but I wouldn't be able to tolerate.
Also, you know, I'm happy with my life, so the temptation wouldn't even be there.
Not normally, but I'm going through a period where I'm really unsatisfied with my own life, and that manifests itself in envying, well, pretty much whoever I've talked to last.
Like, for example, back at Christmas one of my coworkers was complaining that people were inviting themselves over to her house for Christmas, and they were particular people she couldn't really say no to, and she was all pissed because of the extra work involved, and I sympathized, but at the same time I was thinking that I would just kill to have anybody want to come to my house at all, for any reason, so I envied her in the sense that this question implies.
There are aspects of people's lives I envy: being able to connect with others easily, being included at holidays and milestone events, closeness with family....but I know their lives aren't perfect.
I'm in a position now where I'm envied for my money.Having grown up being abused and bullied, I'm not always sure how to react when I'm lashed out at for this.
This guy, I felt, had it all. . .a beautiful, accomplished wife, a great career, high achieving kids, an ultra-high level of fitness. . .and he killed himself. . .
So, no. I can't think of anyone else I would want to trade places with.
Yeah echoing TPS am I literally that person, or do I just get all their things and position? I'd like enough power and money to fund all the crazy art idea I have, or one thing.
I envy the young a little bit, the years they have to figure it out. Well, their health is also something to envy. Time and health and freedom. I'd take that but I'm not sure I'd really call it envy.
I do envy people with clear minds, or at least those who can achieve their potential enough to be a part of many beautiful things. But if I were one of them I wouldn't be me. And if I weren't me, where would all these demons in my head go? Who would carry them around and listen to their insults, threats and mocking laughter? The poor things. I guess I'm saying I'd be the top model who freaks out and throws a shoe at TPS.
Every so often I read something and think "I would like to have written that." But it's never "I would like to be the person who wrote that," which is a different proposition.
And every so often I see someone dancing or running a marathon or effortlessly picking up a child or just walking without apparent pain, and I think "I wish I could do that." But I don't think "I wish I were that person."
I like me. There are limits and disabilities to being me, but there are limits and disabilities in being anyone. I know mine and have adapted to them.
Only if I could bring Jon (and my mom) with me. And then, any female under 40 who's won one of those 200+ megamillions jackpots. Yeah, I wouldn't mind that. (Maui resort, here we come.)
Or maybe an astronaut (I forget her name, but there's a female mission commander... how cool would that be).
Or a clarinetist in the New York Philharmonic. Wouldn't turn that down.
I don't have too many that I envy in that way. I would say that I was impressed with a lot of people, and I've admired people for what they've done, or how good they are, but I can't say that I've ever wanted to trade lives with them. Not so much because I don't want to be them, but that I can see totally fucking things up if I were them.
However, one person that I admire, and could totally see trading my life with theirs is David Byrne. The dude just seems like he has so much fun. Of course, that's my superficial view of his life as portrayed through his art and news, but that would be one.
No, not really. In any case, I have enough belief in destiny that I think I'd just end up exactly where I am anyway. Although, an opportunity to re-start as a younger person as long as I could keep the things I have learned. Why yes, I do want it all!
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