Several weeks ago, I asked readers to, well, ask me anything. Some of the questions I received were serious, while others were of a lighter nature. The questions and answers are below. If you’ve got any more, ask away!
Do you ever think about moving back to the US with hubby and child, and why/why not? (Maria)
We’ve definitely thought about it, and even began to fill out the green card paperwork. Timing is everything, though, as the global economy started tanking, and we abandoned the idea, at least for the time being. Interestingly enough, as I started dealing with the paperwork, I also started questioning whether I truly wanted to go. Even when I think that day-to-day life would probably be easier there and that I’d be able to provide my son with so many opportunities that aren’t available in Israel, I’ve generally got a pretty decent life here. I’ve got amazing friends, and despite all the problems, I do love the country. Whenever I’m in the US, I think about how wonderful it would be to stay, yet once I’m back in Israel, I feel like this is where I want to be. I suppose I will always feel pulled in the other direction, no matter where I am.
Or maybe without hubby and/or child? 🙂 (Yoel)
Ummm… 🙂
Are you happy? Genuinely happy? (Mohamed)
To be honest, I don’t know. There are definitely people who/things that make me happy. My son makes me happy. My friends make me happy, though I wish some of them lived closer or that I could see them more frequently. Writing makes me happy. My profession doesn’t make me happy, but it’s not always easy to change when you have certain responsibilities. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have things that don’t frustrate me on a regular basis, and during the past six months or so, I’ve felt like I’m being pulled in different emotional directions. That being said, I’m mostly grateful for who and what I have in my life, even when I wish that some aspects could be different from what they are now.
Do you have any regrets – and what are they? (Helen)
One of my biggest regrets is professional. I wish I’d studied either journalism or taken some other writing-related path in university. Instead, I studied sociology which, while interesting, did nothing for me professionally. I came to Israel with no job experience, took jobs where native English was the main requirement (mainly administrative), and if I got lucky, the ability to write was considered an advantage.
I continued to gain work experience and move in certain professional directions, mostly because I could, though not necessarily out of any particular interest in the field. Today I feel trapped. It’s very frustrating to turn around in your late 30s and realize that you never should have denied yourself the chance to try to do what you love, and starting over from the scratch at age 41 in an area known for almost scandalously low pay is scary, especially when you have so many responsibilities. Now I’m constantly juggling, working full-time, writing when I can and trying to be the best mom I can be to my son. It’s not easy!
As for personal regrets… I’ve had a few…
If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there, why do people talk about it anyway??? (Nicole)
Hmmm… Because they can? 🙂
What is your most embarrassing moment which involves Stephanie Freid? (Benji)
Not sure I’ve got one, Benji. What’s yours? 🙂 Stephanie, care to weigh in on this one?
What is the worst job interview you’ve ever had? What made it horrible? (Jill)
Tough question, Jill! I’ve had so many job interviews over the years. I can tell you about the type of job interview I hate the most, though. Whenever I’ve gone on a job interview, in addition to the obvious component of the interviewer trying to size up whether or not I’m a suitable addition to the company, I see it as my opportunity to assess whether or not the company is right for me. The interviewer should, while asking the important questions, also be doing his or her best to cast a positive light on the company for my sake, and I don’t always feel that happening. I’ve had far too many interviews where the interviewers do absolutely nothing to convince me that this is a place where I should want to work, and even interviews where I feel like the interviewer is almost purposely going out of their way to put me in a difficult spot. When this happens, even when I’m invited back, I decline and stop the process. I’ve done this on several occasions. I need to get a good vibe from the start, and if I don’t, well, it’s difficult to put my first impressions aside. Whenever I’ve avoided my gut instincts in these situations, I’ve usually regretted it later.
Which three historical figures do you most respect and admire? (Stephanie)
Wow, Stephanie. Tough one! One would have to be Golda Meir, not necessarily for her politics, but rather for the fact that she accomplished so much and managed to go farther in Israeli politics than any other woman has since then. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to come up with others, but no single individual comes to mind. I have great admiration and respect for people who have effected positive change despite the obstacles placed before them, people like Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks, leaders in the feminist movement, the equal rights movement, civil rights leaders, etc. I’m also in awe of my paternal grandparents, who left Russia, made their way to Argentina, and eventually settled in the US. My grandfather escaped from the army, and at one point, my grandmother talked a firing squad out of killing him. I’m in awe.
What sort of stuff would you like to blog about more but don’t for whatever reason? (Aviv)
Hmmm… I’m not sure there’s too much that I’ve made a conscious effort not to write about, though I do make an effort to protect certain aspects of my private life. You won’t find blog posts about my work, as I believe that would be unethical (not to mention stupid, given that I don’t blog anonymously). I also tend to write more about my thoughts and opinions as opposed to my activities unless something special has happened. I just don’t think that my day-to-day life is blog fodder, and I’m not one of those “tell all” bloggers who’s prepared to expose everything that goes on in their lives to people they don’t know. Believe it or not, I’m far too private for that, not to mention far too shy.
I also tend write a lot less about politics and current events than I’ve done previously, though if something really bothers me, I’m probably going to rant about it here. Otherwise, I think I’m just burned out on that stuff, and can’t usually be bothered to summon up the energy to deal with it.
I love to write about my son, but I’m also very conscious of not wanting to be categorized as a “mommy blogger”, since there are other topics that I enjoy writing about as well.
Most of all, though, I wish I had the time and energy to blog as frequently as I once did. I keep hoping to get my groove back, and I’m really impressed by other bloggers who have also been blogging for years, yet still manage to maintain a certain level of frequency that I haven’t been able to do. Still, I’ve been writing this blog for four-and-a-half years now, so I suppose that’s also an accomplishment of sorts.
Aww man, you shouldn’t have include my silly question! Now I’m sorry I didn’t ask a real one. Nice post! Your writing is great, you’ve made me want to do one of these. Actually I tried soliciting questions once but I think people thought I was kidding. Keep up the good work!
Benji
You can still ask a real one if you like. And thanks for the compliments! Maybe you just need to tell people you want them to ask you serious questions?