Proust Questionnaire: Vijay Pierce's answers

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On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:18:55 UTC Vijay Pierce (23) answered the Proust Questionnaire (click on a question to read other answers):

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?: To be alone AND friendless.
Where would you like to live?: New England, but Janet is home.
What is your idea of earthly happiness?: To have love, to have friends friends and to have sufficient sustenance to live and pursue my passing interests
To what faults do you feel most indulgent?: I am too indulgent of my indulgence. I do not give enough to what I should, and am too ready to give to lesser things. I have a somewhat poor work ethic. I am egocentric and often inconsiderate.
Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?: The Count of Monte Cristo, for his determination. The main character of Slaughterhouse-Five, for the depiction of life simply being thrust upon one. Owen Meany, for his faith in what he believes. Jacob, for his willingness to work and perservere for love.
Your favorite painter?: John Singer Sargent, at least I like all of his things that I've seen. But Edward Hopper's paintings of maine are really really special too. Winslow Homer, also. Any of those people who successfully catch the New England ethos.. stir my heart.
Your favorite musician?: I may like myriad things over time, but only U2 seems to really exhilerate me.
The quality you most admire in a man?: Perserverence, and a determination to be righteous and full of integrity
The quality you most admire in a woman?: Kindness, gentleness, a warm heart.
Your favorite virtue?: Loyalty.
Your favorite occupation?: Cooking.
Who would you have liked to be?: Myself, as I cannot know truly how to be anyone else, or know the pitfalls of swapping lives.
Your most marked characteristic?: The need for company.
What do you most value in your friends?: That they accept me and understand the things I say.
What is your principle defect?: Pride.
What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?: To have fallen to many of the vices which I have seen fell my counterparts of youth.
What would you like to be?: Better, able to juggle time better and commit to my priorities. To be good enough to deserve the love I have been given.
What is your favorite color?: I think I like a dark red, or a dark blue the most.
What is your favorite flower?: I like a terra-cotta rose.
What is your favorite bird?: I may have at one point said the red-winged blackbird, or something majestic like an eagle, or a hawk. But the underappreciated New England seagull seems to be that which I am most proud of.
Who are your favorite prose writers?: I like Kurt Vonnegut, and I appreciate Dickens. I have enjoyed Bill Bryson and Dave Barry. The 17th and 18th century English literature radiates far more perfectly than any other set of work, and it is hard not to admire that.
Who are your favorite poets?: I do not remember the names of poets, but I know that I enjoy Frost, and Yeats. The Americans I tend to be drawn to more, as well.
Who are your heroes in real life?: My dad.
What are your favorite names?: Janet. Vijay. Hershey. Cyfulch. Carsenifide. Mum. Dad. Andrew. The New England Patriots. Mostly the names of those I care for.
What is it you most dislike?: The lack of time, money and wisdom in my life.
What historical figures do you most despise?: I am not sufficiently eduated to say, but I dislike more those that commit smaller, more pure and personal evils (infidelity, rape, and murder) than those that have commited what MAY be seen as great, noble acts (traitorship of Benedict Arnold, Hitler, ie)
What event in military history do you most admire?: The first thing that comes to mind is the siege of Vicksburg. Less acclaimed than the defeat of Lee at Gettysburg (which is monumental in notion more than actual influence) but the capture of the Mississipi River is very impressive.
What natural gift would you most like to possess?: Will power and irresistible charm - but not sleaziness and not weaselly-ness... perhaps better social graces.. and personal graces. Howabout just grace?
How would you like to die?: Peacefully, in that I have made peace with my life and am ready to die, and not trying to grasp on to every ounce of life as I would if I were to die today. Peaceful in a physical sense doesn't hurt, either.
What is your present state of mind?: Trying to come out with these answers and wondering how true, overall, that they are. Vaguely concerned about beign prepared for work, wanting to do work.. and paying my loan payment.
What is your motto?: Be the best person you can, and do what you can for everyone that requires you, without any thought of return.

A question that might have been asked but wasn't might be posed as, "What do you wish the most?" or "What do you wonder the most?" and to both I have a similar answer:

"Will it be too late by the time I truly live in New England again? Will too much of my parent's vitality have faded away by the time they get to have me near them again?"

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