Flipping The Tables – Or Interviewing The Interviewer

When David Howell from Brews And Views approached me a little while ago and asked me if he could interview me for his feature Interviews I had two things in my mind. First of all I felt really honored to become a part of a great group of bloggers he had already interviewed and then there was this second thought. Why not interview the interviewer for a change?

And here it is. My Interview with the Interviewer:

Hey David,

I thought I might flip the tables and interview you for a change as well. How about it?
Sure…

Give me a second to let my readers know how you introduce yourself on your blog for those who don’t know you yet:

“A virtual coffee shop blog written by an ordinary guy with a world view from the perspective of a husband, son, and father of three living in the Midwestern U.S.  My name is Dave, and I have found that the most complex things become simpler when you can chat about them with friends over good cup of coffee!

Brews and Views is a place designed to capture some of those coffee conversations in writing, with an emphasis on the art of blogging.

I post interviews with other bloggers who I find interesting for one reason or another–perhaps they’ve success in building a following, their style of writing is unique or it may be that they have simply had an experience-filled life. Interviews generally publish mid-week with other miscellaneous articles and content in-between from time to time.

Please, by all means…grab a cup, fill it up and enjoy both the brew and the view. Along the way, we’d love it if you’d comment to share your own perspective as well.

If you’d like to recommend a specific blogger that you think would make a great interview, please visit my Interviews page to send me their information. Thanks for stopping by.

Dave”

Now, let me just quickly grab a cup of coffee before we continue… I suppose you might be sipping on one yourself at the moment… Just remind me quickly, how do you like your coffee again?

If it’s a really good coffee, I like it straight black! I also like it black if it’s with some sort of dessert.  It’s best the Greek way…strong, black, hot, with a side of iced water.  My mother is Greek and, like Australians, we think our coffee is the best too! 😉

Might be the Greek influence down here… I am almost done… just a second…

Here we go, let’s do it…

What made you start blogging?

I’ve always been a huge reader. We didn’t have TV in our home growing up so it probably helped develop my love for reading.  In college I discovered I love to write, but since graduating I haven’t really had a creative outlet.  I started digging into WordPress a few months ago, and when I saw how easy it was to use I thought I’d give it a try.

Did you learn anything so far from the blog world?

I’ve learned a TON from blogging so far– most of it from fellow bloggers.

1.) It’s important to write about things you are passionate about.

2.) Proof your work– simple mistakes get in the way of your broader message (misspellings, grammar, etc.)

(Uuppsss… I definitely need to proof read my posts….)

3.) It’s not just about writing, it’s also about interacting with other bloggers, reading their work, commenting, etc.

4.) Don’t be afraid to change along the way. My blog has changed a few times since I started it and each change has made it a little better. I’m sure there are more things, these are just the few that immediately come to mind.

What makes you happy?

Wow, big question! The longer I live, the more that answer changes. I’d say it’s the “little” things that make me the most happy.

When I say “little” things, I simply mean the things that I have overlooked or taken for granted in the past.  Health in my family. Friends and family who love and work to keep you close. Seeing those I love happy also makes me happy. Having the opportunity to live every day in a way that shows I’m thankful for God’s blessings, that makes me happy.

Oh yeah, coffee also makes me happy…and dark chocolate makes me REALLY happy…

Chocolate always makes me happy…

What makes you sad?

I tend to be a pretty happy person most of the time. If I had to identify the things that do occasionally bring me down, it would be…

– Negative people
– Self-righteousness
– Thinking about friends I once had who are no longer around
– The fact that I’ve never been to Australia 😉

Well, we are working on your last point there, don’t we… I do my best to provide you with all the info about Australia you don’t need but makes you want to come over here even more… One day we will have that coffee together… And the kids can feed the kangaroos while we adults are balancing a python on our arms, coffee in one hand, tail or head of the snake in the other… 😉

Sorry for interrupting, you weren’t done yet…

I believe that happiness is in the eye of the beholder and most days we choose whether to look at the glass half full, or half empty.  I understand there are exceptions, I’m referring to most days. I, like all of us I’m sure, have acquaintances who always seem to be down or depressed. As a rule, I try not to surround myself with these type of people– their moods tend to rub off!

Very good point!

If you would be given superpowers for one day, which one would you like to have and what would you try to do with them?

Hmmmm…great question. I think I would have to choose the ability to fly. There are so many places I’d love to visit, although I’m not sure how many I could get to in one day.

Well, you might get the superpower of flying with super speed… you might get everywhere you want to in one day…

What are the top 3 things on your bucket list?

– Raise my children well. This means a strong faith, being charitable to others, productive members of society with satisfying careers and families of their own.

– Travel: Western Europe, the Mediterranean, South Pacific, Australia (of course), New Zealand, Iceland

– Build my dream house. Not necessarily large, but on a great piece of property with high ceilings, lots of windows and a great fireplace (a custom-made espresso machine wouldn’t hurt either 😉 )

Okay, I would definitely come and visit. Kids could play outside… while the four of us watch them through the windows… with a cup of coffee of course…

Which ones are your favorite blogs and why?

I ask this question a lot in the interviews that I conduct, and I must agree with so many others…it’s a tough question!  I have many.I love blogs where people are great “speakers” and they have a point of view.  Harsh Reality is a good example of this, so is Ben’s Bitter Blog among so many others.

I also like funny! A Momma’s View and Mother Hen Diaries are good examples of this. You know someone has a gift when you want to read whatever they write, simply because they wrote it– regardless of subject matter.

I read about flowers, wearing oven mitts while driving, the burning punishment of hot flashes, etc., just because you are the ones who wrote the words, and you did it in a way that makes it a blast to read.  (Btw, I’ve also learned a great deal along the way….maybe too much! 🙂 )

Hehe… it is actually not as bad down here 😉

What is the most important advice you would give to your kids?

Put God first, then family and friends, everyone and everything else after the first two things. Treat people kindly, have compassion and care for others. Be a friend to those who others will not. Enjoy life, love those who are close to you.

Remember, your life is a book and the pages are blank for you to write upon. When you are at the end looking back, what do you want it to say?

Also…have fun! This can be an awesome journey.  You decide every day what mood you will be in– make it happy, make it a thankful one!Wow Momma! You have me waxing eloquent with this question!  I need to lighten up!  I’m so philosophical, I surprise myself! 🙂

See, I knew it… Got ya… 😉

Best ever New Year’s Eve in your life so far?

The best New Year’s Eve in my life is…the one coming up!  Why? Because, although I have great memories from years past, I sincerely look forward to what the future holds.  I feel extremely blessed to have healthy children, an awesome wife, a job and…for great coffee! Can’t. EVER. Forget. Coffee.

I suppose the best New Year’s Even will always be the one I haven’t had yet. I feel fortunate to be around for another year!

I totally agree with you…

How will you spend New Year’s Eve and what does it mean to you?

On New Year’s Eve, I’ll be in a church service.  We have service every year on this night to send-off the old year, and ring in the new one! Afterward, we plan to hang-out with several of our friends– and then sleep….lots and lots of sleep!  Is it weird that I’m really looking forward to sleeping?

No, not at all… I guess we all do… And then?

When I wake up, I’m heading to my blog to do some writing for the New Year!  I have a lot to say, and a LOT of coffee yet to drink!  Happy New Year Momma!

Happy New Year to you too, David! I hope it will be a great one 🙂