How agreeable are you?<\/b><\/p>\n
In the psychological sense of the word, I think I am extraordinarily agreeable, insofar as I am co-operative, compassionate, trusting, empathetic and harmonious. A small caveat. I am not sure anyone else thinks that. Socially, I can be selectively disagreeable for fun, which is gas when you\u2019re 24, but a little more tragic when you\u2019re hurtling towards 62. I hope I am more agreeable than I think, but I wouldn\u2019t place any bets on it.<\/p>\n
What is your middle name and what do you think of it?<\/b><\/p>\n
My middle name is Brendan, after my father. I remember as a child being gutted at having what I thought was such a vanilla Irish second name. When I was about 10, my father proudly showed me a reference he had received in 1946 after his first job in the local creamery in west Waterford. It read, \u2018Brendan was truly excellent with seeds and manures.\u2019 For the avoidance of any doubt, the reference then mentioned \u2018Brendan\u2019 eight other times. Leaving aside my curiosity as to what specialist talents would be needed for such excellence, I forever then associated my middle name with those seeds and manures. I\u2019m okay with Brendan now, though. I swear. <\/p>\n
Where is your favourite place in Ireland?<\/b><\/p>\n
Mayo<\/a>. Especially Ballycastle and Killala, the land of my mother\u2019s people. Mayo folk look as if they have been left out in the rain too long, but they\u2019re all strong types. My five-foot mother, Annie, could kill a man at 10 feet, and her brothers had a type of farm boy strength that would make Hercules look like the former host of the Generation Game, Larry Grayson. In the last 25 years, I have come to really love Ashford Castle<\/a> in Cong, which is, just about, in Mayo. They charge for the air in that place, but I wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. <\/p>\n Describe yourself in three words.<\/b><\/p>\n I have alternatives. Driven, deep and gorgeous. Or, lazy, shallow and hard to look at. There are probably others. That said, maybe loving, anxious and faithful might be nearer the mark.<\/p>\n When did you last get angry?<\/b><\/p>\n I used to be angry with people for perceived minor infractions, but I now tend to get angry with myself in the manner of Basil Fawlty<\/a>. Indeed, I had a full-blown row with myself recently over how stupid I had been spending all that money on two tickets for Liverpool\u2019s next home match, which they will definitely lose. God knows what people must have thought as they looked on.<\/p>\n What have you lost that you would like to have back?<\/b><\/p>\n My Newfoundland Cross, Louis, who completely out of the blue died just before Christmas, aged only five. Half-man\/half-wolf, he was 110lb of doggy gold, and the gap he has left in all our lives is unfathomable. Like all our dogs, he was pure, unconditional love. He told me on several occasions that he loved me the most \u2013 well, he put his giant paw on me because he wanted a treat, but as we all know, that is the same thing. I wish I had him back now, even just for one moment. My own, my sweet companion, bless the road that carries you.<\/p>\n What is your strongest childhood memory?<\/b><\/p>\n I have a couple. One firm memory was pestering my parents to get me white linen safari pants for my Confirmation day. They relented. I must have looked some sight in the church, but at least I had white linen pants and no one else did. Later, I found out why no one else did \u2013 it was because no one would be seen dead in them. However, perhaps my strongest childhood memory is of my mother and three spinster aunts (all of whom, remarkably, lived with us). They hovered around the house in their \u2018dustcoats\u2019, generally about two inches above the lino. It was a glorious time, for I loved, and was loved. <\/p>\n Where do you come in your family\u2019s birth order and has this defined you?<\/b><\/p>\n I have one older sister. She is a consultant psychiatrist, and I believe she, probably wisely, gave up on me a long time ago. I\u2019m not sure if birth order matters that much when there are just two of you. We both wanted for nothing and were given everything, which is precisely why I am entirely useless at \u2018ordinary\u2019 things. Inflationary cosmology? Let\u2019s have at it. Paint a wall? Sorry … <\/p>\n What do you expect to happen when you die?<\/b><\/p>\n As a licensed minister in the Anglican Communion and chaplain, you might expect me to say that I expect to exist in the glorious light of Christ for all eternity. And you\u2019d be right. As is sometimes said, I simply don\u2019t have enough faith to be an atheist, and so am very drawn to the theistic philosophy of Stephen Meyer and others and their discussion of the evidential proofs of intelligent design. One of the greatest philosophers of all time said, \u201cGod is the name of the blanket we put over the transcendent mystery to give it shape.\u201d By the way, the person who said that is Barry Taylor, the former road manager of AC\/DC. Truth can be found where we least expect it. Go Bazza!<\/p>\n