The topic was to name three things that interest you and that you would be willing to commit large amounts of time to with great excitement. Two people were asked this question and the responses were less than ideal. The first person simply could not think of three things that they are interested in enough to spend large amounts of time on for the rest of their life. The second person responded that they were all about balance and they spend the time needed on interests when the time needs to be spent. Not the point people, not the point on any level.

Opera. If I had the time and resources I could spend eight hours a day delving into the world of opera. Composers, time periods, singers, opera houses, books and plays that operas were based on, the history of theaters, studying scores, and listening to multiple recordings of the same opera just to compare and contrast. This would not even begin to scratch the surface. The goal? To be the next pre-performance Lecturer at the Santa Fe Opera. No goal is needed to have the desire to spend large amounts of time on something that I love. I picture large oak study tables, three would do it, five feet wide and nine feet long. The tables would be piled high with scores, papers, fountain pens, dictionaries, reference books, recordings, and anything else related to the world of opera. A great sound system would of course accompany the hours of study. A sanctuary for the study of opera.

Star Trek. This is a topic that really upsets some people. They simply cannot understand how someone could be interested in the world of Star Trek. Well let’s list just a few things that make this world so incredibly fascinating. A world where multiple cultures, races, and species all live, work, and innovate together. The science and technology that may and should exist three hundred years in the future. Starships that carry over a thousand people and have the resources, science labs, and engineering sections to accommodate multi-year voyages in the universe. I take one look at a cross section drawing of the Enterprise NCC-1701 D (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and I instantly know that I want to find out how the ship was built,where it was built, how long it took, where each section of the ship is located, etc.

The world of Star Trek places a huge emphasis on personal education and expanding the base of knowledge in the universe. Topics such as Astrobiology, Celestial Cartography, Romulan Genetics, and Warp Drive Propulsion Systems are thrown around willy nilly as if these things are simply common and everyday. The acceptance and tolerance of ignorance, hatred, and bigotry are just not part of the Star Trek. In fact, this world is the 180 degree opposite of everything that Donald Trump currently represents.

My third thing has yet to be discovered. There are some viable candidates out there but no one thing has landed firmly into that third position.