The Curious George Questionnaire: #11
Ingrid Haring-Mendes—dropping wisdom for the pages!
She: In these rushy-rushy kind of times, it feels like a rare treat to do something as simple as settling in with a fantastic read. Somehow Ingrid Haring-Mendes makes it seem as easy and inviting as a picnic in the park on a perfect summer day. Her Tears of A Painter (TOAP) ‘stack is all about indulging in our shared love for reading, for relishing that imagination traveling that only books deliver. And George thinks HE’S got it good! George gave his library card a workout just trying to keep up with Ingrid’s inspired book pile!
MM: I love Ingrid’s philosophy of engaging with people you might disagree with. It’s tough to do! But there are many ways to achieve a goal, and perhaps rather than drive a wedge further between people, curiosity (which Ingrid seems to deeply understand) is the better path. I will have to check out her Substack, but super glad George reached out and got her responses to his questionnaire!
Ingrid Haring-Mendes Answers The Curious George Questionnaire!
To me, curiosity is:
I’m curious about people: how they live their life; what they think; how they feel; their childhoods; what they truly love; how they keep their houses; what’s in their drawers. It could be the most mundane thing, but I want to know about it. I’ve always been that way. When I was a little four-year-old, my grandfather named me customs officer, because I loved opening their drawers and trunks and suitcases to see what was inside, hahaha!
Describe a road not taken. Any regrets?
There are too many to count. I’ve stood at so many crossroads. I’ve moved a lot in my life. Countries and continents. There’s always the question of what if I hadn’t moved. I can’t imagine it. In a way, everyday life presents you with opportunities and leaves behind roads not taken.
Tell us how you fill your curiosity well…
By reading and watching and making up stories. YouTube is great for seeing how people with completely different lives live theirs. A few weeks ago, actually more than a few weeks ago, it was around the time of the US election. I was disgusted and disappointed by what was happening, and I had a thought or an idea that seemed somehow life-changing (actually, now that I think about it, I may have heard it on an episode of Trevor Noah’s podcast, What Now, but don’t quote me on that. I really can’t remember how the idea came to me). When someone comes along that you completely disagree with, instead of stomping away in outrage or desperately trying to convince them that your way is the right way, there’s always the chance to react with curiosity. Instead of thinking: I hate you, please go away, be curious about what in the world would drive them to think the way they do.
Wonder or awe? Why?
It took me quite a while to think about this one, and I’m still not sure I know how to answer the question. Perhaps awe, because it seems like a much deeper emotion. But wonder is pretty cool too. And if you allow yourself the time to sit with wonder, it will inevitably turn into awe, because awe is the end product of most observations. Our world is filled with awe-inspiring moments if we just take the time and the space to look.
How would you spend your last day on earth?
I actually think about this a lot. Maybe I’m strange, but I think about death at least a few times a week. Sometimes I’ll be driving and think, I may never get home. Life is so random, you just never know what’s around the corner. If I knew for certain that this would be my last day, I’d spend it with my family, just hanging out with them, drinking lots of Assam tea. I’d eat chocolate (the really good Swiss one) and tell my family how much I love them, and how proud I am of how they’re living their lives.
My life philosophy is_____
You can never go wrong with love. Choose love and love deeply.
The other day I was reading a Sally Rooney book, Beautiful World Where Are You, and I came across a line that perfectly encapsulated what I’ve been feeling lately:
“What if the meaning of life on earth is not eternal progress toward some unspecified goal—the engineering and production of more and more powerful technologies, the development of more and more complex and abstruse cultural forms? What if these things just rise and recede naturally, like tides, while the meaning of life remains the same always—just to live and be with other people?”
Who’s the CGQ Crew?
About She: Sheila Moeschen is a humorist, writer, photographer, and salty New Englander. You can find her on Substack at Humor Saves!
About MM: Michael Maupin helms the StoryShed Substack (among other things) and is a recovering screenwriter, book and magazine editor, and lifelong diarist.
About George: George is a man of letters, leisure, and all things interesting. Named after the fabled monkey—eccentric or genius parentage, who knows?—he’s made it his mission to discover the most fascinating, unique, and curious people like YOU. Good work if you can get it. Though he believes time is irrelevant, he prefers to go by the Mayan calendar, and he’s never late.
Thank you so much to the Curious George crew! I loved answering these questions. I really had to have a good think, but enjoyed every minute of it.