Saturday Six - Episode 64

It's the July 4th episode of The Saturday Six.

1. A stray dog wonders into your yard, obviously weak, hungry and thirsty.  He is a very friendly dog, but if you feed it or give it water, you know that the dog won't leave your yard and you'll end up keeping him.  If you don't help the animal, he might die.  What do you do?

I'd give it some water and something to eat.  I'd check to see if it was wearing a collar with a license or some kind of tag denoting ownership.  If it did, I'd call the owner.  If nothing like this was to be found I'd call our local animal shelter to come pick up the dog.

2. You must lose one of the following:  a foot, a hand, an eye or an ear.  Which would you get rid of and why?

I'd get rid of an ear; I think this would be the least debilitating.

3. Scalzi of "By the Way" recently posted about the top unanswered questions in science today.  Click here and scroll down to the list of the top 25 biggest mysteries:  which one would you MOST like to have answered?

How Are Memories Stored and Retrieved?

4. Joe, our AOL Journals Editor, says blogs are boring:  either everyone talks about pretty much the same topics, or regular people lead dull lives, he suggests.  So what keeps you reading other people's blogs?

I click around a lot and read segments of lots of different journals.  There are only a few I follow on a regular basis and if they were boring, I wouldn't read them, would I? 

Let's face it.  Most of us lead fairly unremarkable lives on a day-to-day basis.  I don't know anyone whose daytime high jinks parallel that of someone such as...Indiana Jones, for instance.  I enjoy reading the journals I do because I believe I'd like the person who writes in them.  Occasionally I learn something new as well.

Lots of journals may well indeed be "boring" but they're not boring to their creators.  I think they serve their intended purpose very well; a place to vent, dream, share and create.  It's not very comforting to know that the journals editor has such a low opinion of them.  I think Joe needs to find another job within the infrastructure of AOL. 

5. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #57 from Lisa:  You are writing a bestseller book.  What kind of book is it (romance, mystery, science fiction, action adventure, historical, gothic, classic, fiction, non fiction, biography, other) ?   What is your main character's first name and the setting in which it will take place?  And give us a one sentence tidbit about the plot ...   

My pending bestseller is fiction inspired by true life experiences.  Susannah has recently moved into an assisted living facility only to discover that at 65, she is about a quarter of a century younger than most of the residents living there.

"A collective hush fell over the communal dining room halfway through the morning meal when Harriet entered and walked to her table; seems she mistook her pretty white slip as a summer dress--again!"

6. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #58 from Mary:  Jim Elliot once said, "When it comes time to die...make sure all you got to do is die."  What do you have to do or would like to do before you die? Make a list of at least 6 things.  And since you made the list.. will  you actually try to accomplish those things?

These are a few things I would like to do or see happen before I die:

1.  Have the opportunity to retire from work completely while I still have reasonably good health to enjoy it.

2.  Find a place we can afford to live after we retire that's not dreadfully far from my children.

3.  Live in a world where war is a thing of the past.  It would no longer be accepted or tolerated as a way to resolve major conflict.

4.  See my son graduate from college or trade school.

5.  See this very same son happily and gainfully employed in a career that will provide stability and success.

6.  See my daughter realize her goal of returning to school and ultimately enjoying a career that is better suited to her potential.

7.  Die peacefully when my time comes, preferably in my sleep.  However, my 15-year plus experience in caring for seniors has shown me that this seems to be a rare thing.  One can always hope!


Want to play Saturday Six?  Click here: http://journals.aol.com/pattboy92/PatricksPlace/entries/1202