by Evelyn McFarlane and James Saywell
A few years ago my friend gave me this book as a gift to help me through a tough time. It's a small square book that contains hundreds of hypothetical questions designed to spark conversation. Simple a concept as it is, I think it's a great idea. The book is elegantly typeset, with four questions on a page, and abundant white space that seems to leave room for ideas. I think the use of the sans-serif for the entire book layout makes for a very refined aesthetic, as if the questions are old and rich with personal history. After a while, the repetition of the word "If" in red on the cover and every subsequent page begins to take on a personality of its own, almost becoming a familiar character. The many, many questions posed by the book are often humorous and always thought-provoking. I have selected a page at random, and here are my answers:
If you were define the word courage by giving an example, how would you do it? Jenn Jennings is a close friend and coworker of my fiancee Allison who has been struggling with cancer her whole life. She beat it when she was a child, but it resurfaced when she was in her mid-twenties, very aggressively. In the 4 years we've known her, she's had many setbacks, some of which would be absolutely debilitating to an average person, both physically and mentally. Yet Jenn always maintains the most positive, optimistic attitude. Of course she has difficult days, but she does not let the disease control or define her. Every single day she can physically manage, she goes to work with a smile on her face and puts in more effort than almost any other teacher in her school. She is truly living with cancer, and if that's not courage, I don't know what is.
If you had to pick the one institution that you have the most faith in, what would you say? Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital. The talented doctors and nurses on staff there labour for a full year to help me fight my disease, and against all odds they succeeded. Aside from that, they are warm, thoughtful, and caring people. I think the folks there can do anything.
If you had to be addicted to one thing, what would it be?
I am addicted to coffee. My whole life I've been very careful and protective of my body, even before it betrayed me in 2005. I've never smoked, I drink responsibly, and I try to be conscious of the foods that I eat. If I'm going to have one vice, it's going to be coffee.
If you could remove the ability to hate from one person in the world today, who would it be?
There's an old friend of mine. Even though we've parted ways, I think she could definitely benefit from letting go of the hate that I know she carries with her to this day.
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