Choose Murder, Choose A 30- Year-Old Mind Or Body To Have For 60 Years Or Until Age 90

“The Book of Questions”, by Gregory Stock, Ph.D — These are questions of a different sort — questions about you. They are about your values, your beliefs, and your life; love, money, sex, integrity, generosity, pride, and death are all here.

Here is an enjoyable way to find out more about yourself and others, and to confront ethical dilemmas in a concrete rather than an abstract form.

To respond to these questions, you will need to examine and interpret your past, project yourself into hypothetical situations, face difficult dilemmas and make painful choices.

These questions can be an avenue for individual growth, a tool for deepening relationships, a quick way to get to know a stranger, or merely a pleasant amusement.

Not always enjoyable

Can be very unenjoyable

ethical dilemmas

thinking of empyemas

with murder would help me

I couldn't do it don't you see

a tool to deepen relationships

don't know how some murder quips

like I could have murdered him

one of three husbands or only Jim

Jim was not one of my spouses

maybe one found at the whorehouses

You are given the power to kill people simply by thinking of their deaths and twice repeating the word "good-bye." People would die a natural death and no one would suspect you. Are there any situations in which you would use this power? Gregory Stock, Ph.D

Not one that I can think of. I have never gone there. I was in a family support group where others thought that way. The very worst I did was to feed my husband raw venison. When drinking he always wanted a steak at the end of his day of drinking.

We had venison. I would no more than put it on the stove and he would ask if it was ready. I would say no but I would turn it over in the pan. Next time he asked I would put it on the plate, raw. Well, you can serve steak rare, right? Blood and bones were on the plate the next morning.

He ate most of three mule deer that way and I lived to tell about it. His addiction killed him and some said it was his second wife. It wasn't me nor would I have ever done anything like that. He was the father to my children and I loved him for that.

If you can imagine yourself killing someone indirectly, could you still see doing so if you had to look into the person's eye and stab the person to death? Have you ever genuinely wanted to kill someone, or wished someone dead? Gregory Stock, Ph.D

Never have I imagined killing someone. I grew up believing that what you do to someone else can come back on you or yours. I watched that happen with others. My husband now believes similarly. He says "It's Karma". I say, "What goes around comes around." Pretty similar.

If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the body or mind of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want? Gregory Stock, Ph.D

I would want the body of a 30-year-old, as I believe the mind would follow. It would be important to me to keep my wisdom after all those years and most 30-something minds would not have that. At least mine didn't.

Truthfully, that is only if those were the two choices. I am okay with me being me. My choices at that time in life where I could have chosen differently or done differently I have accepted and have no regrets. Even the worst decisions or choices made.

At age 30, I was still a young woman, unsure of who I was and where I was going. I had only recently graduated from college. I had two small children and a husband struggling with his addiction.

I was dealing with an eating disorder and was new in recovery from alcoholism and substance abuse, and if I hadn't already gotten into recovery there is no way I would have made it until age 70 years.

I have no thoughts that I will live until 90. It is one day at a time for me and that works pretty well on most days. Today is a New Year and that gives me a wider view. Having the grant for writing the book included an outline of plans for this year and I will do the best I can to follow those plans.