All Things In Moderation, Except

So just for fun I threw out a set up on Facebook. No instructions attached, just a hanging sentence that read, “All things in moderation, except…” Think for a second about how you would answer such a question. I was curious to see how folks would interpret it, or if they would ignore it the way I ignore so many things on Facebook.

Some of the things people listed were thoughtful, some whimsical, others practical. If this were Reader’s Digest or Cosmo, then it would be attached to an article emblazoned with HOW YOU ANSWER REVEALS YOUR PERSONALITY (OR YOUR LOVER’S). I’ve taken a lot of those quizzes in my life and the only conclusion that I’ve been able to come to is, I seem to like quizzes.

So, no claims as to revealing your personality, or anything else – it’s just a little piece of fun. And you can still contribute, either here in the comments section, on my original Facebook post, or by dropping me a line at mondojohnnyblog@gmail.com. As always, here at Mondo World Headquarters, we would love to hear from you.

One person responded with “knowledge, wisdom, acceptance, tolerance, and love”; a solid list that even differentiates between “knowledge” and “wisdom,” a cool philosophical point that opens up debate. That was followed by a good one – “moderation.” Laughed at that one as it reminded me of an Oscar Wilde quote, “I can resist anything except temptation.” I’ve been accused of leading my life that way as well.

The next one was simply “chipotle” from a respondent looking for a little spice in her life, then “COFFEE” followed by ten exclamation points. There was a time I would be joining in the chorus for this one, but I’ve actually lived coffee free now for over a decade and lived to tell the tale. It hasn’t been easy…

The next three formed a combination close to my heart; “extravagance,” “music,” and “comic books.” Those are definitely three of my favorite things. While I actually lead a fairly simple existence, I have delusions of extravagance. I’m part of the 99% but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t mind being a part of the 1%. I also couldn’t live without music – good thing I work at a radio station where I get to play the blues, but I also get to listen to a wide variety of music; classical, jazz, world beat and so many others. Comic books are one of my favorite things of all time. I grew up reading the whole superhero gamut, added the underground comics, and now I follow a number of independent comics.

Hello, my name is John, and I’m a comic geek…(Hello, John)

Anybody looking to connect with me this Sunday should head over to the Virginia ComiCon. Be sure to say hello.

Continuing the list are more things I love; “chocolate,” “THE RAMONES,” “theatre,” and “living life to the fullest.” While I’m sorry to report that I won’t be eating much – if any – chocolate in the future for health reasons, it will always remain a great pleasure. THE RAMONES, hey the guy wrote them in all caps, so who am I to tinker with his obsession? Saw the Ramones a couple of times at VCU back in the day and I’ve long been a fan of punk as a statement and as music. The Ramones were one of the all time greats. If you have to ask how I feel about theatre, I invite you to check out the vast majority of the blog. If that doesn’t answer your question, call me.

As far as living your life to the fullest, there really can be no other way. I’ve had my near death experience and while I’m in no hurry to shuffle off this mortal coil, I think we have such a limited time and so many experiences to accumulate that we need to keep ourselves open to all possibilities. That doesn’t mean you should go crazy and try to climb mountains or jump out of airplanes – unless that’s something you want to do. Like those Cosmo quizzes, you’ll have to find your personality traits yourself. Just find that passion and follow it with abandon.

Now we come to some of the more whimsical selections; “daydreaming,” “Moon Pies,” “olives,” and “Rocky Horror.” I think all four stand on their own, although I wouldn’t try to combine the olives with the Moon Pies unless you’re pregnant and having one heck of a craving. Speaking of Rocky Horror, I sure would like to see a new production of it mounted here in town. It’s been years since we were treated to the version at the Barksdale and it’s time to see a new interpretation.

We finish up with a couple of diverse thoughts; “kindness,” with which I will wholeheartedly agree. We cannot have too much kindness in the world. And the last word (at the time of this writing) belongs to my old pal Bud, who thinks that we should have “Root beer. And maybe peanut butter cups.” Mmmm, tasty.

Thanks to everyone who participated. I look forward to hearing from more of you, oh, and my answer was “laughter, life, and love.” Although reading a comic book while listening to the Ramones and eating a Moon Pie is a close second.