I said I’d what? Really?
So, N over at Fear and Parenting emailed to tell me that I had agreed to be interviewed by her.
I did?
My state of shock and horror was only enhanced by her copy of my comment on her blog post. Dayum, I need to pay more attention when I’m commenting…. Sigh….
I am a person of my word. So, if you can stand to learn a bit about me, here’s our interview.
N at Fear and Parenting: 1. Why did you start your blog in the first place?
I started my blog in 2004 (I think) when blogs were first coming out. We were looking for better ways to interact with people at the Open Grove. We’d had a forum for a long time, but it became fraught with spam and stupidity. We thought that a blog might be the ticket.
I originally blogged on MoveableType, then shifted to something else. I shifted to Wordpress on the recommendation of the tech support at LunarPages (my hosting service). Wordpress was about a year old.
Over time, the blog has grown in a variety of ways. I’ve never been very comfortable talking about myself, so Claudia rants are rare.
Well, Ok, they are rare in life too.
I try to support, interact and inspire, myself first, but others as well. This blog has drawn such a tremendous community. I’ve met so many amazing, talented and silly people. I am deeply grateful every day for the blog, the people and most particularly the capapcity to meet and greet like minds.
N at Fear and Parenting: 2. Every week you list your unconscious mutterings meme. What has to be most disturbing response you’ve received to that weekly post? (Please tell me it’s not one of mine!)
I don’t think I’ve ever had a disturbing response. My buddy Van at FuriousBall always puts something in that’s a little off. He does that on purpose to wave ‘hello’. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. Truth told? I leave pretty random things on his blog. Like he has this fascination with Brazillian models and…. Nevermind.
Mostly, I love the way the mutterings reflect the places people are in their lives. So many people are growing, striving and achieving. I love being able to see their process in one post.
I just love mutterings! 
N at Fear and Parenting: 3. You’ve got to be one of the most genuinely nice people I’ve ever met – a true and rare breed to be sure. But no one can be THAT good. What’s the most un-nice thing you’ve ever done?
Boy. I have thought a lot about this question. I don’t think of myself as a ‘most genuinely nice person’.
I had a really tough growing up. I had it bad at home and was the bottom, smelly kid of my elementary school. Just to give you and idea. The one elementary school friend I thought I had told me at my father’s funeral that she used to make cruel jokes about me behind my back. She feels bad about it – because it was extreme and I was always her good friend. But, as she said, ‘you know how kids can be’. (For the record, I don’t really know ‘how kids can be’. I think some kids and people suck.)
I am so grateful for these experiences. I learned at a very early age how fragile a heart can be. I learned how one comment can destroy a person.
Since that time, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Usually, my mistakes revolve around speaking about something that’s so obviously true to me, but not true to someone else.
I’ve hurt a lot of people’s feelings over the years. I don’t think I can pick one moment as an un-nice thing. I know that it’s happened. I’ve learned that hearts break and heal very very slowly.
Online, I try to think about the other person. What might they read here? What might they think?
I don’t mind apologizing because I know how difficult it is to communicate – to be heard and to understand.
N at Fear and Parenting: 4. You’re one of the few online friends who’ve met me in person. Was there anything about meeting me that surprised you?
I was surprised at how much we had in common. Simply put: your husband wants chickens (as is my life long dream) and you don’t want them (as is my husband’s life long goal). I am humbled and awed at this simple similarity.
N at Fear and Parenting: 5. You’ve been on the hunt to find the secret to happiness for quite some time. What will you do once you’ve found the goose who lays the golden egg?
I think I’ve been trying to find out why, given the exact same circumstances, some people are happy and other people are not. It’s a fascinating to me, really.
I can’t imagine ever staying unhappy. I can’t imagine any reason to do that. But people do it.
If you ask them, they’ll tell you that they have to. (shrugging) Yeah, I don’t get it.
That said, I’m confident in the decades of happiness research collected at the World Database of Happiness. Happiness is pretty simple.
- Know what you want.
- Believe you can get what you want
- And have the capacity (health, mostly) to work toward what you want.
That’s about it.
The tough part is knowing what you want. 
Want to be part of the fun!?! I know you do! Follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
Filed under: About Claudia, Worth a look! Check it out!
Yep. You asked for it! Chickens? really? That’s what surprised you? Hmmm. I need to work on my shock value.
Really, though. Thanks for playing
[...] On a Limb with Claudia [...]
This was AWESOME to read
I so rarely get to know about you (i’m apparently too busy blubbering about myself … I seem to do that a lot). I *do* “listen” when you speak though, so this was FUN!
**hugs**
And, although I have already been interviewed by N, and also requested to be interviewed by S, will you also interview me, please?
xo
First time I read of your youth I understood why we have mutual empathy.
This was a great interview it is always nice to learn more about the people you talk to everyday. I loved it!
Claudia,
I enjoyed this. I have never quite understood Unconscious Mutterings, but I have been interested. I think I’m getting it now. I’ll keep reading and maybe jump in one of these days.
I’d love to allow you to interview me, one condition it has to be in person. I know we don’t live that far apart. I’ll buy the coffee you do the interview. I’ll even bring fresh eggs. Better yet you can come by and collect them yourself. You’d love having chickens.
Great interview. Claudia, you are wonderful. It is nice to learn more about you.
-Rob
Hmm. I like the recipe for happiness. It sounds “do-able”. Grin. Nice interview by the way.
Fantastic answers Claudia. It just reconfimrs my belief that you are one of the best, most thoughtful people I have been fortunate enough to meet.
XOXO
totally agree with perpstu…..
I don’t think I could even begin to submit to an interview! Happy Thursday!
What a fantastic interview! Great questions and really wonderful answers. Definitely weird about the chickens. And even if you were once the smelly kid, I’m going to go out on my own limb and say you’re not now, and having been a nanny and a day care teacher, most kids are in fact smelly. And have tangly hair. And dried snot on their cheek. And people love them anyway. Cause they’re just kids.
Claudia, I would be overly excited if you would interview me.
Well, that was very well done! I feel like I know you better now and that was a great way to do it. I haven’t been reading your blog for very long, and you just kind of cut to the chase.
I LOVE Unconscious Mutterings. I even did one on my blog not too long ago. I will be coming up with another one soon.
You are so right about how well they reflect a person. Very insightful.
Great interview of one of my all time favorite people. And you are so nice, it is so true. Lovely read, veronica
ooh love this!!!! and I love how your mind works!!!!
If you don’t mind, I’d love to be interviewed by you
oooh… great interview!
Seems like I stopped by on a great day…..getting to know all these little extra thngs about you….Like many have said I find your recipe for being happy very acheiveable….you know it’s a great thing to strive for.
I had someone ask me once “am I always so upbeat” it took me by surprise as I didn’t necessarily see myself that way….but when I thought about…I thought yup…crappy things have happend…but why stay there…I’d rather try and move on.
Great post and interview…
What a great interview, such excellent questions and answers. I enjoyed getting to know you even a bit more. I would ask you to interview me, but then I would have to interview others and I don’t know if I could handle the pressure, lol.
N – Great questions! I think we’d have to spend more time together for true shock to set in!
Thanks for asking and including my reluctant ass.
Devyl – wow, you have quite a schedule. I’ll have to contemplate what I want to know… hmmmmm….
TWMark – Yes, it’s odd how much we have in common – like the Dad/education thing? Back injuries. Weird, eh?
SandyCarlson – Oh do jump in, they are just for fun and people come up with the funniest things!
Janeywan – How about after the books are done? Deal? Deal? I’ll email you!
Digital Rob –
Perpstu – Oh wow. Thanks – it means a lot to me.
Tommie – *sniff* *sniff* You mean I can’t interview you?!? But what about all my nosey questions???
Julia – Ooh cool, I’ll send an email this weekend!
Krissa – sigh… I love to mutter!
Veronica Romm – Well, gosh, thanks!
Cylithria – Hmm… and how does my mind work?
Tempest Knight – Heya
Smalltown RN – I’m glad you stopped by! I think of you as definitely upbeat.
Vixen – You can do what you like – I’d love to interview you!
You are definitely all of those things and more. I wanna interview you once you have February’s book out. ok? cool.
I’m thinking happiness is part one’s make-up and part a choice. Like nature and nurture?
I enjoyed the questions and answers. I did an interview like this once a long while back.
the value choices you have made and the way you look at the importance of being upbeat, sincere and friendly shine through beautifully. you may not rant much, but your feelings and perspective always come through loud and clear….it’s just done in a respectful manner. I like that.
shine on Claudia!
ps. i am very curious about the questions you would throw my way…. will you interview me?
Loved it! This is more information about yourself than you have ever given out…yep, I am reading in a lazy stalker kinda way.
Interview me! This is a great idea. I would love to pass it along on my blog.
*she is shaking her head at the chickens…*