The Standfast Interview

Okay, I'm doing the interview-thingie. I've always wanted to be interviewed, just as if I were a very important person or something! Lo and behold, M.B. of Testimony and Truth was willing. So, fulfilling a long-cherished fantasy, here goes:

M.B.: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Well, fireman passed through my mind from time to time. Astronaut too. Major-league baseball player (Willie Mays was my hero). Rock star. You know, the usual. But the persistent one, the one that kept haunting me, was writer! Yes. The name on the book. One of those mysterious makers whose works lined the shelves of my town library. And the dream lives on, too. Maybe someday!

M.B.: Are you introverted or extroverted? What's the best part of being an introvert or extrovert (whichever one you are)?

Here's the thing. Most of my life I've been an introvert. Had trouble making friends, tended to hole up in my room and read, felt incompetent in many common social situations. But since the day God "called me from darkness" I've become more and more the extrovert. I guess that's because there is no fear in love, right? And my introversion was a product of fear. But the process of conversion is not yet complete. At this point I think I'm kind of a 'tweener. I empathize with introverts and am made uncomfortable by the "aggressively sociable," and yet I truly enjoy the company of others and seek it out regularly. The best thing about being a 'tweener is that no one is truly a stranger to you.

M.B.: You've written a book comprised of the story of your life. Will it be a best-seller and wildly popular, or a classic little 'best kept secret'? Why?

No way will it be a bestseller. Although I've had my moments of high drama, of course, and some unpleasantness, my autobiography would probably be entitled, "A Quiet Life." Hey, I'm a librarian after all. Still, my book would be written with exquisite grace, and from time to time an introverted library-lurker would happen upon it, blow the dust from its cover, crack the pages, and be entranced!

M.B.: Name three of your deepest passions.

1. Showing the glory of God in Christ
2. My wife and children
3. (tie) the Boston Red Sox / settling into a good book

M.B.: What do you imagine your friends say about you behind your back?

Oooh, the trick is, I think, not to ever try to imagine this. If I knew, you see, it would almost definitely be a blow to my pride. On the positive side, I do think everyone says I'm a nice guy. I'm sure you know some of those "nice guys" yourself. We're a quiet little brotherhood, very loosely organized, unprepossessing, unheroic, easily overlooked. Kindness, that's our byword. That's what I hope people would say about me, at least, but I'm not asking! It's too risky!

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Okay, so there you have it. It felt really cool being interviewed. M.B., picture me bowing a deep bow of gratitude in your direction.

Now, if any of you would like to be interviewed by me, let me know. Here's the deal:

1. Leave me a comment saying "interview me"
2. I will respond by asking you five questions.
3. You will updated your blog/site with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. (Write your own questions or borrow some).

And have fun!