dailyprompt

What historical event fascinates you the most?

It has to be the eruption that caused Pompeii to be immortalised in time.

Imagine the inhabitants going about their daily business to have the air sucked out of their lungs and for their lifestyle to be preserved under 20 feet of volcanic dust.

When it was rediscovered in the 18th Century it was found to be mostly intact with the citizens frozen in time.

A wealthy lifestyle with an opulent way of life has given insight to living conditions in AD 79 and they seem to have been something to envy. A very sophisticated society with beautiful art and lavish homes.

Fascinating, because we consider our modern day society to be civilised with better living conditions than ancient times. I think we definitely have that wrong.

What does it mean to be a kid at heart?

No idea. Never been a kid at heart. Grew up quickly and started looking after myself at 16.

Not even sure what it means. Do I like prancing about in mud, scaring the life out of myself on a scary ride or skate board on a pavement and knocking people down?

No never been a kid at heart once I’d grown up and had to deal with real life.

Hopefully haven missed out on anything. Maybe I took life too seriously but you play the hand you’re dealt.

How much would you pay to go to the moon?

I wouldn’t pay a penny to go to the moon and if I’m being honest I don’t think anyone should be wasting money to go to the moon.

Sort out earth first because mankind has made a huge mess of maintaining the only planet where life is even possible.

Put the money into the environment, feeding the hungry and housing the homeless.

Can you image what damage can be done to the moon once they start mining for minerals etc. Leave the moon alone, to be gazed at on a clear night, sung about and to light up the sky on a dark night.

No, not one penny would I pay to go to the moon.

What major historical events do you remember?

I remember the night President Kennedy was assassinated. I was on my way from church ( it was a Catholic thing) when someone came out of a nearby shop visibly upset and crying that Kennedy had been shot. By the time I reached home he was dead and my dad was in tears.

We were terrified that it was going to lead to a world war as at that stage we were guessing it was the Russians who had assassinated him.

I also remember the Cuban Missile crisis. We sat at our school desks waiting for a huge explosion ( probably not what would have happened) but our teacher had a transistor radio on and there was great relief when it was announced that Russia had backed down.

Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?

Lazy days make me feel guilty.

We all have days when we feel unwell or just tired and fed up and can’t be arsed doing anything.

I feel like that most mornings.

But within a short time I feel ready to face the day ahead.

My biggest mistake is to sit down, feet up and scroll through social media or contribute to blogs such as this. Before I know it, time has passed and I’ve done nothing productive.

Now I’m feeling guilty but I’m so relaxed and it’s cold out and it looks like rain and well any excuse to just relax and do nothing.

So the answer is get straight out for that bracing walk. No sitting around or else you’ll spend the rest of the day feeling guilty.

When you think of the word “successful,” who’s the first person that comes to mind and why?

It has to be my husband.

He left school at 17 and came up to Belfast to be with me as my family didn’t approve of our romance.

He started studying while working for the Department of Agriculture as a laboratory assistant, got a first class degree in Biological Sciences, followed by a PhD and eventually became a world renowned Professor collaborating with colleagues in Canada and the USA to develop a vaccine to combat Global Swine Disease.

I think that’s what you would call successful.

What principles define how you live?

I think we’re all born with innate qualities of what is right and what is wrong. However there are some who have tendencies to be evil and unfortunately society and peer pressure brings out those tendencies.

Although I had 12 years of listening to Catholic doctrine it didn’t define who I am and in fact I disregarded most of it’s teachings and led my life in a way that was governed by the world around me.

I tried to be kind where I saw hate. I obeyed the law of the land. I believed in live and let live. What another person believes or what way they live their lives is none of my business unless it is a threat to my family or to others.

I believe in my body, my choice. Who am I to put myself in someone else’s shoes and tell them what is right for them?

Most people I know live by these principles. We just want to get through this short life living in peace and helping society to prosper.

It’s so pitiful that today’s leaders like Trump and Netanyahu and other dictators do not live by any principles other than to gain power and wealth and as a result put the future of the world in jeopardy.

When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

When I was 13 and discovered where babies came from!!

What’s something you would attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail.

If I was guaranteed not to fail there would be no reason to do it. Surely it’s the challenge, not knowing whether you are going to succeed or fail.

If you knew you weren’t going to fail you wouldn’t put your heart and soul into it, so little satisfaction when you succeeded.

What would you do if you lost all your possessions?

I can’t imagine what I would do but as long as I still had my family I wouldn’t really care.

Processions mean nothing without a family round you.

At my age it would be difficult to start over. However 12000 photos on the iCloud, a home is where the heart and processions are just that. Mostly things that will be dumped in a skip when we pass on.

Hoping it never comes to that but also hoping I’d be strong enough to survive if it did.