Grandma Henke

Question:     What model, make, and color of car would you choose that best describes how you see yourself.

Question:    What model, make, and color of car would you choose that you think describes how others see you.  (This is a question you can ask someone else about yourself.)

These are questions I used to ask the participants in a Court Ordered Alcohol & Drug Class I taught over twenty-five years ago to juveniles who had been arrested.    They and their parents were required to attend.    

The car I was driving at the time was a Volkswagen Bus and that’s how I felt others actually saw me.   It actually fit me pretty well since I felt like I was a taxi service for kids.    That van usually hauled at least ten kids at a time (before the days of seatbelt laws).    I was durable and economical.

In my mind, I was a used Oldsmobile Cutlass, with high mileage with a few dings.     I felt reliable, not bad looking but not flashy.  I chose tan so I didn’t actually stand out in the crowd.   I figured I was a  leather interior … easy to keep up and would last forever.

Now I see myself as the Toyota Avalon … fully loaded, silver (of course).  I see myself with a full tank of gas, and ready to go anywhere I want.   I have good speakers and a beautiful silver interior with wood accents and very comfortable seats.    The big difference between me and this car is that this car is easy to maneuver and I am not.    I see me as independent and going places.

Other questions were:

Which of your possessions would you hate to give up the most?

What do you like most about your life?

What do you like the least about your life?: 

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why.

What would you most like to do for a living?

At the time I would have hated to give up my piano, I loved being a mother, wanted a bigger house, and would have lived right where we live now, in Ivins, Utah.     I didn’t want to work for a living.  I wanted to stay home with the kids.

Now … I would really hate to give up my computer/Internet.    I love being a retired grandma.   The thing I like least about my life is having one house … I want two small ones, one here and one in Washington.   I want to live relatively near my kids and grandkids, and I would like to make money writing. 

I’d be interested to see how you answer these questions.  Leave a comment on the blog so we can see. 

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