Did you know that our Mel wrote a book? I certainly hope you did know that because you’ve already bought it and read it. I loved her book, Life From Scratch, and I was delighted to join the book tour for it.
So, here we go!
- If you had a year to do what you wanted, what would you do? Would you learn to cook or something different? Well, I kind of already am doing what I have always wanted to do. So I think I am ahead of the game there. But, if I had unlimited time for hobbies, I think I would take a cooking class, a photography class, and some kind of art class. For the art class, I am thinking something awesome, like glass blowing. It would be really fun to have some kind of unique hobby. And I have always wanted to take a real cooking class and learn how to do things properly, even though I am already a pretty decent cook. (Although, the beans in my bean soup today? Some of them were randomly hard.) For the photography class, that is mainly because I would like to know how to use my nice camera properly.
- Towards the end of Chapter 11, Rachel is reflecting on her relationship with Adam when she says “What I really want, more than any other birthday wish I ever made, is to meld what I know now with what I had then and build something entirely new in the process…something potentially wonderful again.†If you could go back to any time in your life and “meld what you know now with what you had then†when would you choose and what would you do with the information you have? What would you tell yourself or what might you try to change about yourself and/or your life? If I could go back in time and tell myself something, I think it would be just to tell myself to stop worrying, it all works out okay in the end. Also, I’d tell myself to quit being so shy. I was really shy and withdrawn growing up and I didn’t get awesome until college. (And, yes, I am awesome now.) Part of it is that I went to a college where I really fit in well and was able to shine, where in high school, I was one in a class of a thousand and it wasn’t my demographic. (Spoiled rich kids that drank a lot and did a lot of drugs- which I never did.) I wish I had some of my current self confidence when I was growing up. Not that I am an extrovert or anything now, but through necessity, I’ve learned how to be the person to break the ice and make the first move in conversations. In high school and before, I was simply so shy that I would never say anything.
- How would you react if your blog hit the big time — if you had hundreds of thousands or even millions of readers hanging on your every word, if you won awards, if mainstream media wanted to interview and feature you? Are there aspects of blogging fame that you’d refuse? How would the content of your blog change? I’m not sure I’d want to have my blog hit the big time. I like our community and I like my readers. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind being a little more popular because I really love all the connections I’ve made through blogging and I’d like even more friends, but I wouldn’t want to be so popular that I started attracting the trolls and the fame. I would be reluctant to be interviewed by the mainstream media because I’d be afraid that I’d have one of those days where I am stupid and everything I say would be misconstrued. (Oh, I have those days, when I read comments on here and think “but that is not what I was trying to say AT ALL.”) So I would hate to have a bigger audience that wouldn’t be so forgiving of my stupid. (Because you guys are so very forgiving of my stupid.) And if my audience were huge, I’d probably censor myself more. I already do some censoring because I try not to write anything that I would mind anyone reading, but if I thought that people WERE actually reading (because right now, very few people I know in the 3D world read this blog), I would be worried about writing anything.
If you haven’t already gotten Mel’s book (Melissa Ford, Author, not the porn star with the same name) (look, I typed porn on my blog, welcome, spammers!), you should go immediately to your book store and get it or get it online at:
Seriously, it is a great book and totally worth reading. I’m not just saying that because I love Mel (which I do).
To continue to the next leg of this book tour, please visit the main list at Write Mind Open Heart.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Jen! I am here from the book tour and really enjoyed Life from Scratch too!
I especially enjoyed reading your questions and answers, as I received a different list. So it was fun to think about the book from other perspectives.
I LOVE that you are already doing what you always wanted to do! That is really awesome that you see/appreciate that. Very cool. That said, some of the other things you would consider doing also sound very interesting, especially the glass blowing. I still remember an episode of I think it was Electric Company or some PBS show from when I was a kid where they went to a glass blowing factory and I thought it was facinating!
Thank you for answering the second question (as I wrote it and didn’t “get” to answer it, though I suppose I could have) and so I am especially excited to see what others who chose to answer it write. Though I was never shy, I did go to a high school with a lot of kids who drank and did drugs. I also did neither, which left me out of a lot of things. I didn’t have much self-confindence back then and often wonder if I got a “do-over” with “what I know now” how much happier I might have been. Not to say I didn’t ever have any fun in high school, I did, but for whatever reason I definately “fit in” better both in Jr. High and then in College. Also, I really like how you talked about how you “didn’t get awesome until college.” and that you “are awesome now.” Good for you! :-)
Lastly, I enjoyed reading your answer about if your blog were to “hit the big time.” I answered a similar question for tomorrow and think it is interesting and a bit uncomfortable for me to imagine.
Thanks again for sharing!
You are so funny. Wait. You were meaning to be, right? :-)
I’d never thought of taking up glass blowing, but now that you mention it, it moves toward the top of my list!
And we share the blossoming-in-college thing, too.
Good stop on the tour, Jen!
I haven’t read the book, but I just wanted to say that, like you, I didn’t get awesome until college. In fact, I was so shy that I’ve had multiple people tell me they thought I was a b*tch when they first met me because I didn’t talk to anyone.
hahahaha. I bought the book with my own money even too! Goofy. And you have very very little of the stupid days.
Wow. I had to sit and really think about those questions. These questions made for a great conversation with the hubby. I so want to learn the art of glass blowing. As far as the cooking class – do you have a Williams Sonoma near by? They have a great few cooking classes. (A tip on your beans taste 5 of them, that was from Ann Burell – saw it on her show a few weeks back). I keep trying to get the professional photographer to teach me how to take better photos.
Great review and thanks for sharing.
I actually had an offer to learn glassblowing, but I declined because based on what I’ve learned as a potter I know it’s not for me. I even stay away from the kind of pottery that involves open flame!
A different tip for your bean problem: any chance they were from two batches of beans bought at different times? I’ve filled up my dry food jars with new on top of old before, and it turns out the aging process causes the older ones to cook differently from the new. Which is fine if it’s all old or all new, but old+new=some soft and some hard. You probably used the same batch of beans, but just in case I thought I’d mention it. :)
I just added it to my “books to read” list!!!!
I think glassblowing would be an awesome hobby. Then again, my awesome hobbies are weaving chainmaille and crocheting. Wonderful review. Though I have to admit, I didn’t use my own money for the book. I got my husband to buy it for me. :o)
HI, here from the Book Tour.
I loved how you talked about yourself “Yes, I am awesome now” ..I just LOVED that. To know who you are and how the wish that we all make (to know now what we knew then) have a PURPOSE!
the book really taught me a lot of lessons and I was sad to see it end.
I enjoyed reading your answers to these questions !
Here from the book tour, and I enjoyed reading your answers a lot. I’m never going to be a famous blogger, but it’s fun to play what if, and you’re right: trolls would suck. I get offended just by the spam replies I get now (they talk to me about enlarging certain organs). So, good thing I’m not Dooce! I guess.
I know this is a silly thing, but I love that you wrote, “our Mel.” I like being owned. I like that I belong here. Thank you so much for doing this.
As another late bloomer who finally found her niche in college (& also wishes she had more self-confidence), I am glad you recognize your awesomeness now. : ) Thanks for some great answers!
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