The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock has long been a part of my teaching tool belt. As a part of my daily teaching regimen, I would post a daily thought or question on my whiteboard. It was the first thing the students would see as they entered the room. And while the idea would come from a variety of sources, my go-to guy was Dr. Stock.
For those of you unaware, The Book of Questionsby Dr. Gregory Stock was first published in 1987 and has sold over one million copies. It is a source of both entertainment and reflection as it often asks questions that are too bold, provocative, or embarrassing to come up with yourself.
As a part of the book, you will find questions related to integrity, honesty, money, love, and anything else you can think of. But perhaps more important, it asks the tough questions that get to the heart of who we are and what matters to us.
Even today, some thirty years after I first came across this book, I still use it. In fact, it's right next to me as I type this. Sometimes I use it as a quick respite between emails. Other times it entertains me while I am eating lunch at my desk. Occasionally, when all else fails, I even use it as a source of inspiration for this newsletter. Today is one such day.
This week is full of noise. The Super Bowl, Impeachment, Iowa Caucuses, State of the Union, and coronavirus are just a few of the many things that are on the front page and are also front of my mind. But I don't want to write about any of that. I'm just sick of it all. I am sick of the dark, dank, and dreary news. I'm sick of the fighting and bitterness. I am sick of the smug commentary and self-righteous remarks. And on top of it all, I am SICK. (General wondering: If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we make a cough syrup that doesn't taste like cherry flavored motor oil?)
What to do? Ahhh, yes, hit up my go-to guy, Dr. Stock, and his book of questions.
When using the book, I always open up to a random page. This is a technique I learned from my favorite book, Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. In Illusions, Bach states, "Hold some problem in your mind, then open any book handy and see what it tells you."
So I grabbed the book, closed my eyes, and opened to a random page and found this:
"If you were to choose 100 random people from your high school graduating class, how many do you think would be leading a life more satisfying than yours?"
To be clear, I am not sure my high school graduating class is a fair barometer for success, but I suspect I am not alone in this respect.
As with most questions in this book, the right answer is as unknowable as it is irrelevant. What Stock is really asking is, "Are YOU satisfied?"
This is not the first time I (or likely you) have thought about this, and for me, I would answer his question with one of my own.
Would I risk starting my (professional) life over to become something new if it meant I might lose everything I currently have?
For instance, if I started over, I might have had better music groups, but I wouldn't trade it for the groups I had. If I started over, I might have found a different, more lucrative profession, but I would not trade it for the one to which I dedicated my life. If I started over, I might avoid the mistakes I previously made but could be exposed to ones with even graver consequences. If I started over, I might gain a skill or trait that I lack, but might lose one that I already have.
For me, the answer has always been, "No." In short, I am not willing to risk the "what if" for the "what is." So yes, I am satisfied.
Teaching (music) is hard. It's a never-ending grind. And February is a no-good, rotten month. But through it all, would you risk trading all of your experiences, memories, and impact for what might have been? In this world filled with famine, plague, poverty, and civil unrest, would you roll the dice of life in hopes of being someone or something new?
I wouldn't.
Too much to lose and not enough to gain. So yes, I am satisfied.