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I found the topic very intriguing since I consider myself a student of human nature (although there are some who think I am just nosy). I quickly became obsessed with this question and wondered what answers I would get from a larger group of people. I hatched a plan, which involved using the answers in a piece of art.
Around this time, we participated in an event near Wilmington, Delaware. I began to ask other show participants as well as the friends who had accompanied us to this event. I found that most people were happy to share that innermost philosophy with me. The best answers were those which came quickly with little thought. In fact, I realized that given TOO much time to consider the response it became more difficult.
I’m sure my friends were embarrassed as I questioned waiters, bus drivers, and frankly everyone who crossed my path. I would tell people that I was taking a survey. There was only one question, there were no incorrect answers and no names would be given. Almost everyone answered thoughtfully.
I set a goal of 100 and hit a snag at about 90 because I see so few people in my isolated occupation. At that point, I asked several other people to put the question to their friends and coworkers. One of these people is a nursing instructor in St. Louis who asked her students. Another lives in
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England so when her “mates” responded I was pleased that I could give my project some international input. With those and the ones I’ve been able to add recently, the total surpasses my original intention of 100. I’ve decided to let the number be whatever it seems to want to be.
The answers are presented in the order in which I received them. The respondents were aged from 3 to 86. Roughly half were male. About 90% were Caucasian. Their occupations were quite diverse.
The conclusions that can be drawn probably vary as much as the answers. I did notice that people who had suffered ill health in the past often said “health” probably because they, more than others, know the difficulty of functioning without it.
It is also obvious to me that in this year of tsunamis, hurricanes and war, people treasurethat which has always been precious. Money and power are not “the most important things.”
The grasshoppers and the ant at the top of the piece are drawn from the fable by Aesop. The two grasshoppers symbolize Bob and I, who have always been grasshoppers and are attempting to transform ourselves into ants. |
