December 2009 Archives

Yes, I do love everyone. It's hard to build a reciprocating relationship though when you're spreading it so thinly and widely.

I <3 LOVE everyone DO <3 YOU LOVE EVERYONE TOOO <3 ?????? Hearts <3 TRINA :)

I've learned that it's not healthy to be giving to people who don't give back. But I believe I'm capable of loving anyone. Is there a healthy way to love "the community" or "the world"? I'm still finding out. :) -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

I have 45 pages of the Wheel Questions book written now. It's about one-third photographs of the questions written on cards. The questions are really more interesting than the answers, in my opinion, because they tell a story. Rather than include the answer side of the cards, the rest is free-flowing text, a mix of philosophy and fun stories to keep it interesting. I'm expecting to get between 250 and 300 pages by the end.

Here's something fun that just makes me smile, and I really don't know why, and that's OK. :)

WHY are mimes scary? ahhh! a mime!

Ennui! Merde! Ah eem trapped een zees box! Jut alors! -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

It's easy for adults to downplay or ridicule the concerns of children. At first glance, this question is cute. It would have been easy to write a humorous reply that said "Silly child! Just wait!". But teens are people and their pain is real. I tried to give it a real answer that shows respect.

I've never had a boyfriend and I'm almost 16. People 1/2 my age have had boyfriends. Why?

The most attractive element a person can have is confidence & you get it by being active in working out life problems & backing away from people & responsibilities that just aren't healthy. Maybe you should work on that, or maybe you've been smart about turning down immature boys. Maybe you've been too shy. Get active & you make the first move towards a boy you like. <3 -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

This card will hopefully inpsire me to write more of the Wheel Questions book today. Too bad I waited 20 years!

I'm 13. Should I stop trying to write a novel and wait 20 yrs?

No. Do it now, while you're young. Study others you look up to & make their standards of excellence your own. It takes practice to succeed and only doing it can get you there! :) <3 -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

Yesterday, I wrote the opening chapter to the Wheel Questions book. It needed two rewrites but now it's looking pretty good! This book thing may just work out! That's my non-denominational winter solstice gift to myself. Oh, who am I fooling. My Christmas gift to myself. I don't really celebrate the holiday, but Merry Christmas to those who do!

The rest of you, go out and see Sherlock Holmes, it opens in movie theaters today. :)

Is Santa real? Ho! Ho! Ho!

Santa is not a real person, but it is a real idea. When people act on an idea, it makes real changes in the world. How would the world be different if we didn't have the concept of Santa? Would we still give gifts? <3 <3 -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

Happy holidays, everyone. If you don't celebrate Christmas and live near Boston, check out Johnny's List of Weird Boston Events for some off-beat alternatives and a big list of nighttime holiday lights.

Are you Santa Claus?

Ho Ho Ho! I applied but I couldn't fit down the chimney! -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

Today I wrote about 4 pages of the new book, and scanned through all 12,000 cards looking for ideas and nuggets of wisdom. I have a pretty good idea what I want to say, but I want to add a story arc that binds together all the random elements. That's tomorrow's assignment.

Will I have a nice christmas?

I hope so! Christmas is symbolic of love, happiness, & giving, but don't let it take over. What's more important than one day as a symbol is whether you have love, happiness, & two-way giving all year. If you're not there yet, work at it. If you are, then don't worry whether christmas is smooth or bumpy! <3 -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

Today I'm doing my best to put everything I have to say about life down on paper. It's hard.

Here's some advice on helping someone you love. But sometimes, you can't. Sometimes, you shouldn't, because you're wrong. And sometimes you shouldn't, because even if you're right, sometimes we have to make our own mistakes to learn.

How can I help my daughter to leave her boyfriend?

If you start with the solution, she'll resist because she doesn't see the problem yet. Have her make a list of all the problems in her life (you do it too) and ask her, if she agrees there's a problem, how long she can tolerate it for if there's no change. Ultimately if you've a history of judging her, she may only listen to a friend. Try to contact one. <3 -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

There's so much good in the world. But you have to be willing to see it. :)

How do you maintain your optimism?

Make a plan for the future that includes risk management. Find ways to measure whether what you're doing is working! And if you need to be cheered up, visit a playground & watch kids laugh. Never sit idle worrying. It feeds on itself. <3 -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

There's no escaping death. But you can't let it get you down, either. That's the paradox of life. Tomorrow, I start work (finally) on the Wheel Questions book.

Should I grieve / Do I have to grieve a friend's death? (because I can't.).

Would your friend want you to give up a month and be traumatized forever? You can honor your friend's memory by celebrating life instead. :) <3 <3 -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

Kids ask the best questions sometimes. Maybe it's because adults are so focused on practicalities. Kids have the whole world open to them.

Here's one, this time in video.

How do people change their mind?

----------

Want daily inspiration? Subscribe. And see my other blog, WeirdBostonEvents.org.

Here's another card where the question is perfect, but the answer, well, I ran out of room. When there's family trouble, wanting to reclaim the age of innocence (Christmas around the hearth with 5-year-olds) can disguise the fact that being adult friends can be very fulfilling, and may feel safer to the now adult kids than placing themselves entirely in their original dependent state (dependence on parents for consistent advice, approval, and family symbolism is a risk if things have been shaky lately). So a good goal is to reconnect as "friends" rather than as "family"... and what's wrong with that? Parents with adult children are supposed to be more friends than parents anyway, a two-way street.

Will my children ever forgive me?

It may be hard for them to feel safe relying on you as their only source for love. But there should be common ground, "safe topics", and activities you can share. It helps if you make an apology & try to make amends. But you shouldn't need to repeat it. Be less a parent & more an old friend to reconnect best. <3 -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

This card is perfect. It's like a work of art how the urgency and indecision come through. I wish all my questions were written like this.

How do I Know She is the one??? :(

It's true love if you're both consistently good to each other, never freaking out or lashing out. Don't get too hung up on "the one". Focus instead on the process and knowing yourself well enough to know what you really need. :) -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

I've heard a lot of profound things. But I think regret is the most painful thing people can experience. It includes all types of tragedy, with the twist that it was caused by you, and you can't change the past. Everyone has regrets i their life. With the holiday season coming up, maybe now is the time to forgive yourself and move on.

What is the most profound thing you have ever heard?

Nothing you fear is real. Except a wasted life, and death. <3 -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

Congratulations to Maria from Boston for winning the laptop! I'll continue to pick a favorite question & answer a day to post this daily blog, and keep you updated on events about a Wheel Questions project in 2010. I am looking for a couple of volunteers to help with applying to grants and corporations for funding. If you'd be willing to assist, please drop me a note at johnny@wheelquestions.org.

Why have I married (or any woman) 2 jerks in A ROW?

You've been trained to ignore warning signs by people close to you -- friends, family, lovers, co-workers -- who take you for granted. People who aren't givers signal it in so many ways early on. When someone's rude to the waiter or irritable for no reason, be brave & say no. Back away from all the draining people & you'll gain stability & confidence. <3 <3 -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

It's a weird feeling not having Wheel Questions work to do after the Video Blitz, which took nearly 3 weeks. Today I am relaxing and catching up on busywork.

I got this question about sharks in September, which sounds very clever but unfortunately it turns out comes from a TV show, and a girl at Edaville Railroad last week decided to write her own response! I had to help her spell cheetah.

Will There Ever Be A Boy Born Who Can Swim Faster Than A SHARK?

Yes! Humans are an animal that makes tools! And underwater divers have flippers & propellers. You can be that boy if you take SCUBA lessons! :)

will there ever be a girl born that that run faster then a cheetah

Oh yes! Humans are the only animals that make machines. Just run up & down on the subway or train & you'll be a lot faster than a cheetah!! :) <3 -------- Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

The Wheel Questions project is over for 2009, and having self-funded the last two years, I definitely cannot self-fund it again 2010. However, I am hopeful that corporate sponsors or a grant will help me continue the project. Do me a favor and mention it in your blog or to friends. The more it's out there, the more likely I am to be able to show it's real and to get the fuel I need to keep going.

The Wheel Questions video blitz ended up taking 2 weeks, but I did amass a ton of questions and answers: 388 written on cards and 276 on video. So at 664 I didn't quite make the number of the beast, but trust me, it's plenty! Each video took about 20 minutes to greet passersby, record, record a reply, edit, and post. Each card about 3 minutes.

I'll continue to post a daily question and answer, mostly written but occasionally a video. I hope you find it uplifting. You can see the videos and all 12,000 questions at The Wheel Questions Complete Archive.

--------

Want daily inspiration? Subscribe! And try my other blog, Weird Boston Events.

Yesterday was a flood of people at Edaville Railroad, despite temperatures around freezing. I got a bunch of people on camera despite everyone frantically hurrying from attraction to the warm indoor gallery back to attraction. And plenty of cards as well. My trick for the first 4 hours was hot apple cider. Hot anything, really. But I did leave early through sheer self-preservation.

Then I went to the annual Newbury Comics corporate party and danced! Those people know how to throw a party.

Back to work this morning! To rectify the artistic situation and to get some more footage at Edaville, I'm returning today to shoot answers to questions. What a great backdrop with the carousel and the Ferris Wheel and trains.

The HP Envy is continuing to be the workhorse of the project. I finally discovered a limitation in the powerful laptop: it wants to be warmer than freezing to work properly. I'm not sure how much of limitation that is, unless you're on a mountain climbing or Arctic exploration project. I will most definitely not be taking the Wheel Questions project mountain climbing.

So this morning, a little video editing, then recording some answers, and I hope to post them tonight!

I can't help it! I had so much fun at Edaville Railroad that I'm going back for a second day.

The Edaville Festival of Lights is a midsize amusement park with a carousel and Ferris wheel and a lot of kids rides. But the main attraction is a train ride that takes you in a big loop through the forest, with over 7 million holiday lights. It definitely makes you feel awed and happy like a child, enough that I went last year even though I don't have any kids of my own. I am my kid!

That being said, the idea is apparently unique. I didn't see anyone there without kids in tow on Friday. The weather was warm, 55 degrees at night, and they placed me right at the end of the queue for the train ride. Unfortunately, the people there are a little crazy about getting on that train, and all the stanchions and chains create a social barrier. So that's another reason why I'm going out. This time, I'll plop myself (with permission) right in the middle of all the action.

Like any holiday lights attraction, Edaville is open after dark this time of year. Shooting video at night creates its own challenge, even with all the lights, but I got some great video. I even took the camcorder on the train ride and shot the fireworks that capped the evening.

I also discovered some secrets about Edaville. It's a generic holiday attraction that doesn't feel too religious, but they don't avoid songs with Jesus on the loudspeakers. And I managed to find one creche scene, tucked waaaaaaay in the back on the train ride. A big statue of Santa and his elves contains a good book for all the good children. But also a bad book, which is equally filled with names. I thought Santa and Jesus were a bit of a pushover on the good/bad thing for children but apparently not.

Amongst the holiday lights is a diorama village, one-quarter size, that contains a masonic temple. (The Masons! They're behind everything!) And there's a semi-private place where mothers can nurse babies. I wish I were a baby again just for one night.

So I'm going back today, and I'll have a lot more to report (and a ton more questions) tomorrow. Meanwhile the HP Envy and I are still best friends. At night I was even able to run video constantly and show off the unit, and the battery lasted fine for over 3 hours of screen display.

If you want to enter to win the HP Envy laptop, subscribe to this blog and I'll choose a random winner on Wednesday. If you're still waiting for your answer, hang in there! I'm almost done.

It's been a completely crazy week, but the end is in sight. The last day will be tomorrow, Friday, at Edaville Railroad's Festival of Lights, the largest display of lights in New England. (I might switch it to Saturday if the rain forecast disappears.)

That will make the Wheel Questions Video Blitz over two weeks long: 7 days of collecting questions, and about 9 days of answering questions. So far I have 193 videos and a ton of written cards as well, all answered. Take a peek at Wheel Questions: Complete, and look for your question by date.

Getting up to speed was tough, and the weather interfered a bit, but by and large the project was a big success. Everyone seems to love the concept, and I'm really pleased by the volume and quality of entries. Thanks to everyone who dared to reveal their inner thoughts, especially on camera.

I'm setting next Wednesday, December 9th, as the official end point to give away the HP Envy laptop computer. Just subscribe to this blog to be entered for the random drawing. Do me a favor and mention the project in your blog or email to a mailing list! The more that Wheel Questions gets noticed, the more pleased my sponsors will be. :)