2nd Meme of the week.

1. If you could remove one evil from the world what would it be ?

Cancer. It is such a totally destructive illness, even though it has a higher survival rate than it did 20 years ago. I would be surprised if there is a single person that doesn't know, or know of, someone who has or is suffering at the hands of this cruel illness.

I personally, have already lost a very good friend to it, he was 42 years old and from the time he was diagnosed to the time he died, it was just 3 short weeks. I have also seen breast cancer come down my mothers side of the family and have been told that instead of a 1/11 chance of developing it as for most women, my odds have dropped to 1/4. If I could rid the world of only one evil, it would be this.

2. What is your most enduring memory of your teenage years ?

Oh my goodness. Just one memory? Gosh this one's tough Pauline. It has to be either giving birth to my first child or getting married. Both were done waaayyyyyyyy back when I was still a teenager and they are two of the most enduring memories of my life. I can remember every single detail of both occasions with crystal clarity... no mean feat when I can barely remember what I had for dinner last night!

3. If you were to leave everything to one good cause what would it be ?

I have to say that I wouldn't leave everything to one good cause. I believe in looking after my family first, and if I didn't have any, I would share it around a few good causes. However, if I had to choose just one, I guess it would be the County Search & Rescue team. I already give my time, both for search operations and fund raising efforts, so it would make sense to leave it to them. They get absolutely no funding from government or local councils and run solely on the goodwill of its members and donations.

4. What was your greatest treasure as a child ?

Probably my clarinet. I wanted to have private music lessons at school but to do that I needed my own instrument. Money was always very scarce in our house when I was growing up and I knew that my parents would never be able to afford to buy me one. One bright summers day as we were walking through the gates of my school to attend the summer fete, Dad announced that when we left there we were going to collect my new clarinet!!! I was so taken aback I almost cried (and that wasn't a cool thing for a 12 year old girl to do in front of her mates at school). Dad had worked so much overtime to earn enough to give me the opportunity to own and learn to play the clarinet. I don't play anymore, haven't for years, but I still own it, and I still get it out occasionally and admire it, and what it took for Dad to get it for me.

5. If you could choose anyone at all, who would you invite to dinner ?

My Dad. I miss him terribly since his death. If I could have anybody at all to dinner, it would be him. There are 3 questions I would like to ask him and I would like to tell him how much I love him, just in case he ever doubted it. Then we would catch up on what's been happening since he left, and when I tell him all about the grandchildren he last saw as infants, his chest will expand with pride, just like it used to do for me and my siblings.