This or That Challenge : Twenty Answers

There’s an interesting challenge on Medium at the moment, whereby you answer twenty set questions and this allows your readers a sneak peak into who you are.

Here are my responses to the twenty questions :

1. Resolutions or no resolutions

I’ve never been one for new year resolutions as I know they’d only last a week or two. Therefore, I live life with the goal to be a better person than I was yesterday. This goal is for every day of the year and not just during the new year phase.

This simple aim of taking small steps forward every day is more likely to be maintained over the entire year, rather than a week or two of excitement at the start of the year and then giving up until the next new year resolution.

2. Mountains or Ocean

This is a tough decision because I love them both. In fact, I love everything to do with Mother Nature. However, if I was to choose between the two I’d have to choose ocean.

Water is my go to when I’m stressed. When I need time out I head to the ocean, walk alone on the sand, wade in the foreshore waves, sit and gaze out over this large body of water, all to help relax me and lower my stress levels. It helps me clear my head and find creative solutions to my stressors.

3. Fiction or non-fiction

Again I’m a lover of both but I’ll choose fiction because I can read most fiction stories and enjoy them, whereas with non-fiction it needs to be on a topic that interests me.

I wasn’t much of a reader when I was young but then I had a major car accident and was injured and couldn’t ‘live’ life for a few years. Stuck in bed I picked up a book and as they say, the rest is history. I’ve always had a book that I’ve been reading from that point on. I have read most of Stephen King and Danielle Steel’s books, horror to romance and everything in between.

4. Morning or night

I’ve always been a night owl. As a single mother of two boys the night hours were the only hours I could get ‘me’ time and I didn’t want to waste those sleeping.

Then suddenly in the last six months I’ve suddenly become a morning person, much to my disgust. No matter what time I go to bed I’m awake between 4:30 and 5:00 am and no matter what I try, I cannot go back to sleep.

Therefore, I’ll have to choose morning now — as much as I’d prefer to choose the night.

5. Long or short

Oh definitely long. I love long conversations with family and friends, long walks on the beach or through the rainforest and long hot baths with a good book.

6. Books or audiobooks

As humans, we struggle with change, especially change of routine or change of something that works for us, therefore this answer is easy — books. It’s what I’m use to and what I’ve always loved. It’s taken me long enough to decide to read my books on my iPad rather than in physical book form.

I’m guessing it’ll take me just as long to go from books to audiobooks.

7. Coffee or tea

I was always a coffee drinker but over the last few years I’ve been trying to look after myself and eat / drink the healthier options. I’ll choose tea because I only average about one coffee a fortnight now but drink tea every day.

I love the different herbal teas available on the market these days, so I have the added benefit of variety when it comes to drinking my tea.

Not that I believe coffee is necessarily bad for you but I was drinking over six coffees a day and that wasn’t the healthiest decision for me.

8. Reading or writing

Writing is my passion, although I love reading almost as much. Whereas writing is a ‘need’ to allow me to empty or release those thoughts in my head. Reading, on the other hand, is a pleasure and a ‘want’ as opposed to a need.

Therefore I’ll answer with writing.

9. Handwritten or typed

Definitely typed. When I write my mind speeds up and there’s no way I could keep up with the speed of my thoughts if I was handwriting an article. Well I could keep up but I doubt it would be legible!

10. Sweet or sarcastic

Sarcastic, but on saying that there is always a little truth in ‘just kidding’ and sarcasm is no different. It’s why it can get out of hand or end up hurting someone’s feelings. Sarcastic needs to be done with flare and keep in mind those people on the other end of our sarcasm.

11. Salt or pepper

Pepper, I’m definitely a spicy girl!

12. Laptop or desktop

Not sure how to answer this one as I do everything on my iPad. As an iPad would be closer to a laptop than a desktop, I’ll go with laptop.

13. Comment or subscribe

I’m a commenter because comments can be on individual articles, giving the writer encouragement time and time again.

Subscribe is like a set and forget. Most subscribers are not those who read your work, it’s the commenters that do the reading.

Always an exception to the rule, there are some generous souls that comment and subscribe but I don’t find they are the norm.

14. Funny or serious

There’s always room for fun, so my choice here is funny. There are enough ups and downs in life and we can find this makes us all too serious. A good laugh helps break the rut of day to day living. Laughter and fun are also the healthy alternatives to stress and sadness.

15. Hobby or career

A hobby. I wish I could say differently but no definitely a hobby. I can but still dream.

16. Pen name or no pen name

I considered a pen name but I’m so bad with remembering names that when I become a famous writer, I’d likely introduce myself incorrectly. So no pen name.

Did I mention that I can still dream? Well in my dream I do achieve famous writer status, so had to take my bad memory for names into consideration when making this decision. Moot point in real life but did I mention that I do still dream — silly as it may be.

17. Winter or summer

Definitely summer. I’m allergic to the cold and anything under 15 degrees Celsius is way too cold. I spend the entire winter months complaining.

I’ve come to terms with the fact I’ll never be able to experience or appreciate real snow.

18. Airplanes or automobiles

As a lover of travelling and exploring my country, I’ll say automobiles. When travelling long distances there’s more flexibility to stop and explore and you definitely see more countryside from the seat of a car.

19. Tonic or soda

We call soda ‘soft drink’ here in Australia and although I try to drink them as little as possible, I can’t stomach the taste of tonic. So soda it is.

20. Sunrise or sunset

If you’d asked me twelve months ago I’d have chosen sunset without hesitating but now that my body clock has forced me to become a morning person in the last six months, I’ll now change that answer to sun rise. I can watch the sun rise from my bed and it’s a glorious display by Mother Nature.

I do love these types of challenges because we gain more knowledge about the people who take part. It’s always nice to know some of the things that make others tick.

With that in mind I’d like to invite some of my favourite writers to join in and tell us more about who they are. Will you consider joining us?

If you liked my writing, please click on the small heart underneath, near my name. Or send me a tip and let me know you enjoyed it.

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Please click the link below my name to read more of my work. I would also like to thank you for taking the time to read this today and for all your support.

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Originally posted on Medium