Thursday, August 02, 2007

Interview with a Monster~


The island waters lapped the golden shore with a serenity and peace hard to fathom after the frightening earthquake days before. A quiet restaurant with a thatched roof on bamboo poles was a few yards from the water, mostly undamaged, and 2 creatures sat inside at a candle lit table. One was a female human, the other a monster of sorts, male of course.
Both seemed a little nervous, as it was their first real encounter in "meat-space". It was hard to tell if the somewhat tense aura was due to chemistry, or the fear of aftershocks. However, after a shared bottle of sake, all tensions melted away. The 2 creatures revealed through dialog and physical gestures they were dear friends at heart- separated by time and space, yet joined in spirit in a way I can not explain.
(See Scary in the upper left corner of this pic?)

Clearly the human woman had traveled a long way to meet her monster friend. He had proposed an interview, she accepted, and since this is fiction- she thought, "Why not fly over and speak in person?"
So she did.
This is what I heard him ask the human woman, he called her Mayden-

Here are your questions:

Do you feel that your graciousness and charm are due in part to your southern upbringing?

"Scary- you are a DEAR! (she blushed a little) While my mother is a true southerner and did instruct her children to use their manners and to be considerate, I think the "Grace" aspect of my personality has been heightened by all the grace shown to me in my life. I am amazed, daily, by how stupid and selfish I can be- and by how quickly it is forgiven or overlooked by those who love me.

You are known to be a warm and loving individual by most of the people who visit your blog. Have you ever done something malicious to a person, if so, how did you feel afterwards?

"Honestly, No. I've done sneaky things to get someone in trouble (like spraying my perfume in his car so the other chick would know I was there), or played a questionable joke on someone, or left a pointed note on someone's car who had rude bumper stickers or parked badly...but I've never done something malicious or mean (at least not as an adult) to another person. I know I would feel so guilty and sick about it I would apologize. Being mean is just not part of my nature."

You seem to have a happy marriage. What is your secret to not letting molehills turn into mountains?
My husband and I have been friends for almost 25 years, which is over half of my life. We know each other well- and neither of us come from families who believe fighting is the way to solve personal issues.
I'm hot, and he's cool. I'm passionate, he's even tempered, but both of us know that we have to move to the edges of our personalities in order to meet in the middle. Sometimes we do this well, sometimes we don't. This is actually a difficult period in my marriage. One thing that I am learning is that my husband can not meet all of my needs. And it's wrong for me to expect him to. I am the only person who can truly make me happy...
and this is true for everyone. I've branched out more in the last 2 years than I have in my whole life- and it has been good for me.

Are you a happy, satisfied person?

Not fully, which makes me sad to say. The problem is I am half-way to a bunch of things, and the finish line is not quite in sight. My kids are half grown, I'm near the mid-point of my life- I have books written, but not published, and I'm in a place where my kids and husband need me less and less. I need to fill the void. I'm figuring out what that is presently.

Tell us about the Cora we’ll know 7 years from now?

Sweet Monster...In 7 years I will be 45, my kids will be almost 19 and 21. Several of my books will be published and I will either have a home on a lake, or near the ocean- where I write most of the day. I hope I will have been to Indonesia, and the Philipines by then...and perhaps a visit to the Middle East. I have a strong feeling about all 3 places- about people I am supposed to meet there, and not necessarily people I know.

With that, the interview was over, and the 2 creatures hugged and decided to go out for sushi and dancing. I'm not sure how the night ended but there were many rumors in the village the next day about a pair who matched their description.
One kept spraying perfume into strange men's cars and leaving lipstick smooches on the windows, and the other just laughed and kept pouring the vodka.

A fun time, to be sure, was had by all...until the next morning when I heard Mrs. Monster yelling at her spouse, "I don't care what that so-and-so American tart told you! If you want to "branch out" I'm leaving!"



But, I'm kind of thinking that after 25 years of hanging out with her beloved, she might change her mind~


;)

35 comments:

Libby said...

this is great, cora!! one of the best interviews i've ever read~! very honest!! but...don't get scary monster in trouble...i think, he's secretly afraid of his wife!

Unknown said...

hi ... thought of you lately, though there's just not enuf time in the day, it seems. hope you're well ... i'm still working on an interview susan set for me ... got one more question left to answer ...

like the new look.

i've been quite solitary and contemplative of late.

hope you're well.

Mayden' s Voyage said...

Libby~
I promise not to get him in "too" much trouble ;) However, I do think if I met him for real, we would have a great time :) He reminds me of someone I love very much. I promise I would take good care of him! :)


Mantissa,
You too have been on my mind, and your brother...
and as you stated there is not enough time in the day for all things I want to do, people to see, and words to say. I'm defintiely in a season of reason...
trying to sort things out.
Hugs to you my friend. I know you know when I'm thinking of you :)
Flowers that catch your eye, a bird who sings a song just for you- a stranger who smiles for no reason...
I know when it's you too...
thank you :)

Scary Monster said...

STOMP.
Mrs.C. loved the answers. You can turn a simple thing into a wonderful fantasy. Yum.

Libby, all intelligent husbands are afraid of their wives.

Stomp.

Mayden' s Voyage said...

You do realize, my dear monster, that it was I who was pouring the vodka, and you who were spraying the men's cars with perfume and leaving smooches on the windows, right? :)
It was my lipstick though!
LOL ;)
Hugs friend, I do hope one day our paths will cross :)

exskindiver said...

no wonder i like coming here.
your answers gave me chills.
somehow i believe your honesty will get you everything you could possibly want and need in this life.

i have been away from here too long.

The Phosgene Kid said...

Just goes to show you are as nice as you seem...

Unknown said...

I liked how you made a nice story out of it...I can easily believe you have written books.

When exactly did you become an adult and stop doing things malicious? :)

Helene said...

fitting that you posted this interview just after having a real one! =] Hope that went well!

Loved the way you presented the interview! Very creative! Indonesia huh??? interesting!! Its not a place I have every even thought about going

darkfoam said...

ah ha.. i should have known. you're the one pouring the vodka. ;)
i think we need to meet soon since vodka is my favorite boozy type drink and all.

i don't even want to think about what i'll be doing in 7 years.
but, you know what? maybe i should..

Mayden' s Voyage said...

Exskindiver~
:) SO good to see you, thank you :)

Phos:
:) Thanks :) But I can be a grumpy old bag when I want to be ;)

SJ- I suppose I was about 4 years old when I grew up ;) When I turn 40, I will start reverting back :)

Kate~ Hugs friend. The interview went great...but not the position I really wanted. It was a good experience though.
If you get a chance to look at Indonesia- photos on the net- it will blow your mind. Must be one the most beautiful places in the world...must be :)

Foam- We definitely have to get together :) I tried a new Vodka from SC last week- it's called "Firefly"- wonderful! Especially in sweeter drinks, but it was good in a martini too :)

boneman said...

I like the creativity used to develope us readers into seeing the two of you interviewing and then carousing the night!
But, holy cats! Philipines?!?
Couldn't y'just visit San Francisco and pretend it was the Philipines only everyone learned english?

Anonymous said...

he wonders,

which parts are fiction
and which parts are true...

great story, cora :)

/t.

X. Dell said...

(Note to self: next time she's in New York, hide saki from Mayden.)

leelee said...

Well done, well done, I really enjoyed that..have a great weekend!!!

Scary Monster said...

Hey Mrs.C. The Vixen thinks me be a really strange Monster since Me came home with your lipstick smudged all over me face and kiss marks left on every mirror inna house.

Me ain't never gonna mix Sake and vodka again. In this case when east meets west things just get to 'scary'

Stumble.

The Grunt said...

Move over Larry King! Really, this was cool, very cool.

Anonymous said...

Goosh'...

What a sweet sweet interview...absolutely darling conversation between friends...a tinge romantic as well...hee! hee! hee!...

Hope you're having a great day!

Luxie doo'

Sean said...

excellent. thanks for sharing all of this.

Neoma said...

We always think that we are midway in our life at 40 for some reason....I guess because everyone hopes to live to old age.....but I see so many people die around 40, for me it was not really the mid point, it was more like the beginning of the end.....because few people have really good health up until 80. From 40 on it is all downhill.......sad, but true. Hope it works out better for you........

Many wonderful books have never been published.....to bad, I would like to read some of the books that never made it to print. All writers have a few.....

Fantasy is what we have left to us when real life falls short of filling our needs. One of the reasons Hollywood has been so successful.

Chilly Mo said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Scary Monster said...

Mrs. C. Me be well past fourty and me still don't think that me be halfway through.
Yes me paper cuts don't heal as fast, but me still got me Monsterous energy.
You have it too.
With enough love and passion for life, one can outlast those who are willing to accept despair whatever the reason.
Furthermore fantasy be a wonderful outlet of the creative mind that already posseses a complete understanding of the world around them. There are those who tell stories and those who stare blankly into the fire while the telling be told.

STOMP, STOMP & STOMP AGAIN!

Neoma said...

Long term illness can put an entirely different slant on your outlook on life........if you don't think so, get one.

Scary Monster said...

Sorry for this Cora.

nea. Get what? An illness or a life?

Lots of folks, even if they are sick, enjoy their lives well into old age.

if it's all downhill after fourty then maybe we should all go top ourselves en masse.

You choose to carry your illness like a flag. I simply choose to defy mine.

Mayden' s Voyage said...

Boneman, as always- nice to see you :) I have both family, and friends who are from the Philippines :)

/t- I think you know which is fiction, and which is true ;) <3

X-Dell- Yeah...you are probably right. I didn't drink any spirits in NYC, except for the martini I mixed up in my room ;)

Leelee, thank you! Hope you had a great weekend too :)

Scary- I'm sure the Vixen was a little concerned! I thought it was mostly smudged off, but, that pink lip gloss has a shimmer to it and it lasts a long time! :) You were very cute though ;)

Grunt- thanks friend :) Good to see you here~

Luxie- love ya! :) Last year I had a whirl wind love fest with a dog, this year a romance with a monster? LOL! :) Miss you friend- I think of you often :)

Sean- I never get tired of sending you hugs...so here's another! :)

Nea-
Every Winnie the Pooh needs and Eeyore...I guess you're it this go round! :)
Almost every week I tell my kids, "What you SAY is what will HAPPEN"- and I fully believe that.
I realize that I can not heal people from cancer, or grow a new liver for them, or fix all the broken things in my Mother's body with the power of my words- but I think I can HELP them.
I hope you know that you are a loved and important. And that your words make a difference in the lives entrusted to you.
I am praying for you this evening...

Scary-
"Monsterous Energy"! Love it!
And you too :) Thanks for being such a good sport with this post :)

Mayden' s Voyage said...

Scary-
You left your note as I was leaving mine...
Our points are the same- attitude (I think) is 90% of everything we do.
I've seen too many cancer patients, amputees, and myself in situations where a change in heart made all the difference.

Lady Prism said...

oooh'...noooo!!..Lost the comment I just posted...hu! hu! hu!..N'ways..here I go again..I said...

nya! a! a! a! a!...as usual..you get all the virtual...um..err...studs ( ???)...hee! hee! hee!...and yeeeah..I sooo remember last year...how could I forget?..Uuuuu..what cybie fun that was!!..Ahhh'..those were the days...hee! hee!...

And I know I owe you a letter...biiiig time!..I'm getting to it....prepare!

hugs!

NYD said...

Hi, Mayden.
That was a really nice interview you did. I wouldn't worry about making Scary's "Vixen" jealous. She's a great nwoman and you too would hit it off marvelously. Just watch out she's a tiny little thing, but can drink most people under the table.

Neoma said...

If what you say is what would happen, then many people who buy lottery tickets would be millionaire's. I don't believe that for one minute. And I do not believe in God, so I guess praying isn't going to do me much good either. haha

But I do believe in nature and the goodness of the earth. I find people to be far more self serving. Fantasy is wonderful, it takes you away from the day to day, which can never compare to the wonderfulness of a daydream. But at some point a person needs to face real life, if that is being Eeyore, then I guess that is my fate. I have lived my share of fantasy, and found it very hard to accept real life afterwards, because I truthfully preferred fantasy. But what I was saying, it is hard to pull away from reality and live in fantasy when the pain keeps bringing you back.

Gnomeself Be True said...

Cora,
Can you give our k9 friend my email address? She asked me a question about S that is hard to answer completely in a comment.
Ask her to email me if she'd like a little background.

Thanks

The Phosgene Kid said...

Arrggggh, there be monsters...

Scary Monster said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Scary Monster said...

Me has to remember to behave Meself

STOMP!

Scary Monster said...

Actually, Me doesn't- Nea do well. You are boring. And ignorant beyond belief. Thousands of people win lotteries every year, now although the difference of winners to aspirants be very great; there are winners.

Belief in Nature?
Who doesn't believe in nature?
The goodness of the earth?
BWAAAAA, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
Tornados, earthquakes, flood and fire.

Lady, take yer pain and just go away.

STOMP!

Once again Me must apologize to Mayden and her guests for me brutish behavior.

Hidee Ho, Adolphus...

And thankee you fer yer support.

Neoma said...

Scarey Monster, you can be really mean can't you..... but everyone has two sides, the side you share with those you like, and the other side. I don't care a bit if you find me boring.....I am. And that is the way I like it.

You are pretty smug, mean and smug. And Cora finds you charming. Maybe she needs to see your other side, the one you share for the sick. By, I will go away, don't need you, nor your meanness.

I have known Cora longer than you, She has known me longer than you. I am boring, but truthful. A person who doesn't use a name or a picture is neither.