Quite an interesting survey I found at Stuff Jen Says today – it’s starts off all light hearted and then sneak attacks you into some heavy topics. Hmmm…

What were you doing ten years ago?

Let’s see, ten years ago I was seventeen, dating my high school sweetheart, dreaming about my future life but honestly having no clue what the future had in store for me. I pretty much assumed I had it all figured out, I was a smart kid and I knew what I was about but truthfully I didn’t have a clue and didn’t really acknowledge anything that wasn’t happening 3 feet in front of me. Like most teenagers?

Five snacks you would enjoy in a perfect, non weight-gaining world:

1. s’mores
2. delicious French pastries and cappuccinos
3. root beer floats (with ice cream?)
4. expensive wines and cheese
5. gelato (basically, can I go to Europe please?)

Five things you would do if you were a billionaire:

1. Buy a house, like stat, with a large fenced in back yard with a swing set and tire swing; a massive, gorgeous kitchen with several family rooms and a large driveway (ideal for hosting bunco) and a library.
2. Then I’d buy the houses on that street and a few neighboring streets and give them to friends and family so they could move here and be all neighbors and stuff and it would be awesome.
3. Then I’d travel the world. And eat delicious European snacks.
4. And like donate to charity and stuff…
5. And end world hunger.

Three of your worst habits:

1. not living in the present enough
2. spending way too much time on the computer (sorry blogosphere, it’s true)
3. letting myself get way too hungry before eating

Five jobs you’ve had:

1. payroll assistant’s assistant
2. sales clerk
3. assistant manager
4. editor (and by that I mean I’ve been an assistant news editor, news editor, managing editor and editor-in-chief, but who’s counting?)
5. writer

Five places you’ve lived:

1. with my dad
2. with my grandparents
3. in a dorm
4. with my husbands family
5. in my own apartment

Five things you did yesterday:

1. took the kids to a play date
2. got lost trying to get there
3. had lunch at a coffee shop
4. made French onion soup
5. watched American Idol

Do you wish marijuana would be legalized already?

Not really. While I’m not convinced one way or the other about what would be best, it doesn’t really concern me personally. I think when you make things “forbidden” it can increase the appeal but I’m also not certain it should be freely available to anyone… Some would say it wouldn’t be that different from alcohol or tobacco which may be true, but I’m not convinced. People will do their vices in excess whether we “forbid” it or not – perhaps making it legal could allow them to better monitor it’s usage somehow? I don’t think there’s really any good answer here.

Do you think same sex marriage should be legalized?

Absolutely.

Should the alcohol age be lowered to 18?

No, I don’t think so. I recognize that plenty of underage drinking happens but I don’t think it should happen. Lowering the age limit in my mind says, “It’s okay to drink this young. We think you are mature enough.” Most of the underage drinkers absolutely are not mature enough and that’s a fact.

Should the war in Iraq be called off?

I think so, but I’ll be honest I don’t know enough about their current situation to make a blanket statement. I don’t like war and I’d be thrilled if there were no war but I’m not naive enough to see that as a real possibility. I wish there weren’t people over there, fighting and dying, but just pulling out wouldn’t necessarily end that. Staying there won’t necessarily make a difference either. I just don’t know. I think that the smart people who know what they are talking about need make a responsible decision that will salvage as much as they can and save as many lives as they can (foreign and domestic) but again, there aren’t always easy answers. Perhaps we could buy them flowers and say sorry?

Assisted suicide is illegal: do you agree?

In most situations, yes. This kind of thing is just not black and white and I’m sure there are compelling arguments for situations where it should not be. I think that a person ending their own life is a tragedy and the person put in the situation of being asked to help has a lot of emotional turmoil to be put through without legal action involved. I’d offer them support first.

Do you believe in spanking your children?

I’d like to think it could be avoided. We don’t spank.

Do you worry that others will judge you from reading some of your answers?

People will judge you, no matter what you say, no matter what you believe there are always people out there who think differently. I can’t spend too much time being concerned about that – and these are heavy topics, likely prone to make people feel passionately one way or the other. If anyone reading this feels upset in any way, I’m sorry – you are welcome to give your view point in the comments section below (as long as you do so in a family friendly, respectful way).