Hermann - What is the meaning of life?: and 92 other things I dont have answers to

So,

what is the

meaning of life?

That, you know, I cant answer.

But Im eighty-three years old, and I have lived life. I have had ample time to ponder lifes not-so-little mysteries.

When I think back to the questions I asked myself when I was twenty, theyre surprisingly similar to the questions I asked myself when I was forty. And sixty. Such as: Were the fears in my life pushing me to engage in things or frightening me away? And now as an octogenarian, I still havent answered that question. You know what else Ive wondered: Am I a different person behind the wheel of my car? Does it give me license to be a jerk? I also think about whether I have learned to forgive and have found things in my life that make me
feel really good.

We all have our own wonders, and now in my eighties, much of what Ive learned is that I dont have answers to many of these questions. But I keep asking questions, some that are philosophical, some that are outlandish, and some that are just plain silly.

For me, collecting them in one place here in this book has allowed me to think about all the experiences, the good and bad times, and to figure out what Ive really learned. What Ive learned is that I need to keep asking questions.

So be honest with yourself when you read this, as you may be surprised by what you learn. I hope it will be introspective, self-deprecating, insightful, and fun. After all, these questions are really about you .

What is the
meaning of life?

Would you let a priest
babysit your kids?

Do you set the bar
higher for others than you
do for yourself?

Are you quick to forgive
your adversaries but not your loved ones?

Does fear frighten or
motivate you?

Is I told you so
in your arsenal?

What is the worst thing
you have to do on a
regular basis?

Are you a different person
behind the wheel of a car?

Does referring to someone as
African-American,
Hispanic-American, or
Italian-American unite or
divide us?

Do you dress to please
yourself or others?

Do you treat men and
women differently?

Do you take pleasure in
anothers failure?

Why do we remember
the TV commercials but
not the products?

Do you find it difficult to say
I was wrong?

Would you like to be
more spontaneous?

Are you comfortable eating
alone in a restaurant?

Do celebrities influence
your choices?

Why does your voicemail
message sound so unlike you?

Is there someone
you know whom you would
really like to punch?

Whats your most
embarrassing accident?

Who is on your enemies list?

Have you made your
parents proud?

Is there someone up there
laughing at us?

Can the world sustain
another world war?

Whose f laws remind you
of your own?

Whats your craziest