Cardiogirl: 19% body fat 100% fun

Friday is The Book of Questions Day around these parts. Today’s query comes from the aptly-titled tome “The Book of Questions” by Gregory Stock, Ph.D.

Awkwardly placed update: Hey! ‘Memba me? I’m alive, the colonoscopy was awesome — no complaints. The prep was not bad at all — I lost 3.5 lbs. and I don’t remember anything about the anal probing. That particular procedure earns two thumbs up from Cardiogirl. Fear not the rectal scope.

And here it is, Question 110.

If you were having difficulty on an important test and could safely cheat by looking at someone else’s paper, would you do so?¹ If you saw someone cheating on a test, what would you do?² What if you had signed an honor code?³

¹ No. I’m a rule follower.

² I’d keep my eyes on my own paper, but if I did see someone cheating I’d stay out of it. Yep, I wouldn’t want to get involved and then I’d think less of that person. Silent judgment is what I’m all about.

³ What the hell is an honor code? My first thought was that it was some sort of pact among the students to keep quiet about someone else cheating. And then I Googled it.

Turns out it’s pact but it’s a pact between the students to turn in the cheaters. Go figure.

So back to the question; I signed an honor code and I saw someone cheat. I would wait until I had a chance to talk to the professor in private and then I’d sing like a canary.

OMG! Some sort of lunatic has abducted Bacon!

Friday is The Book of Questions Day around these parts. Today’s query comes from the aptly-titled tome “The Book of Questions” by Gregory Stock, Ph.D.

And here it is, Question 103.

Does the fact that you have never done something before increase or decrease its appeal to you?

I’ve always been a cautious chick but I tried more stuff when I was younger. These days I’m not up for too much that falls into my unknown file and if it involves jumping off anything higher than 18 inches above the ground that’s a definite no.

I do remember looking forward to my 18th birthday so I could finally go to bingo with my mom. Man, she was. In. To. It.

She had special bag that held all of her bingo supplies which included such things as black garbage bags, Scotch tape and bingo dabbers. She would get so pissed off if anyone took her tape and did not return it to her bag.

Anyway, I’d never played before — so it was an unknown — and it was a rite of passage in our house to go to play for the first time on your 18th birthday. I actually couldn’t wait to go with her and when I finally did go.

I.

HATED.

IT.

Gah, I hated it. I continue to hate it. I have no luck when it comes to that game so I never won. I’m also pretty high strung so waiting for one number only to hear another lady scream, “BINGO!” made me want to murder the woman who yelled it. So based on that experience (and a few others) my logic goes thusly: trying new things usually sucks.

I’m basically a pessimist, so today I can say, with confidence, that never having done something before totally decreases the appeal for me.

And I am confident that most of my VIP members are going to be way more adventurous than I am.

Friday is The Book of Questions Day around these parts. Today’s query comes from the aptly-titled tome “The Book of Questions” by Gregory Stock, Ph.D.

And here it is, Question 68.

When has your life dramatically changed as the result of some seemingly random external influence? How much do you feel in control of the course of your life? Does living as though you control your own destiny lead to a more powerful life?

I’ve been passing this question over for a while because I don’t feel like I have a concrete answer. I’m a black and white thinker and I get hung up on definitions. So when I read dramatically changed and seemingly random … influence I was put off. I don’t feel like my life has changed dramatically because of some random, minor influence or event.

Some things in my life have changed dramatically because of some extremely messed up external influences but I don’t think I’d call those influences random. So you see my dilemma.

But we must answer the question, right? I cannot think of a time my life has dramatically changed because of a random external influence.

Generally speaking, I feel like I am in control of my life 75% of the time, but there’s a lot of random chance/luck floating around. Until the day I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, I felt like I was the sovereign ruler of my life. Thank you and good night, kind sir.

Since then, I’ve been cautiously noting the bad juju in the air and I’m thankful for each day that it passes by my door without stopping.

I do believe that living as though you control your own destiny can lead to a more colorful life. If you believe you control your destiny you’re probably more apt to take greater risks. However, I find it interesting that Dr. Stock used the phrase “as though you control your own destiny.

The phrase as though implies that Dr. Stock does not believe you control every last detail in your life and I find that intriguing because it seems his own bias has shown up in this question.