مکالمه ی فعالانه قسمت ج

ACTIVE SPEAKING / PART C

MEMENTO MORI

Before setting off, he bought a bike and proceeded to give away all his remaining money.

What did he buy before setting off? He bought a bike before setting off. Did he proceed to hide all his remaining money? No, he didn’t proceed to hide all his remaining money. He proceeded to give away all his remaining money.

He sent anonymous checks for $500 and $1,000 to his friends.

How much were the anonymous checks he sent to his friends? The anonymous checks he sent to his friends were $500 and $1,000.

He said he felt it was the first truly selfless thing he had ever done since there was no way that their gratitude could be returned to him.

Did he feel it was the first truly selfless thing he had ever done? Yes, he felt it was the first truly selfless thing he had ever done. Was there a way that their gratitude could be returned to him? No, there was no way that their gratitude could be returned to him.

He did get something out of it though. He relished watching his friends trying to figure out who had been so generous.

Did he get something out of it? Yes, he did get something out of it. What did he relish watching his friends do? He relished watching his friends trying to figure out who had been so generous.

While people are often suspicious of other people’s motives, Kelly felt he was planting a new kind of suspicion in his friends, a suspicion of good.

What are people often suspicious of? People are often suspicious of other people’s motives. What kind of suspicion did Kelly feel he was planting in his friends? Kelly felt he was planting a new kind suspicion in his friends, a suspicion of good.

After giving away most of his money, he was ready to hit the road.

Was he ready to hit himself after giving away most of his money? No, he wasn’t ready to hit himself after giving away most of his money. He was ready to hit the road after giving away most of his money.

He had only enough left for food during the journey. Hotels were out of the question.

Did he have a lot of money left? No, he didn’t have a lot of money left. He had only enough left for food during the journey. Were hotels an option? No, hotels weren’t an option. Hotels were out of the question.

He needed to rely on the kindness of strangers.

What did he need to rely on? He needed to rely on the kindness of strangers.

Each night he would go to a stranger’s house, knock on the door and ask if he could sleep in his tent in their backyard.

Whose house would he go to each night? He would go to a stranger’s house each night. Would he knock on the door and ask if he could sleep in their house? No, he wouldn’t knock on the door and ask if he could sleep in their house. He would knock on the door and ask if he could sleep in his tent in their backyard.

Usually, they would say yes, and end up inviting him to talk about his journey.

Would they usually say no? No, they wouldn’t usually say no. They would usually say yes. What would they end up inviting him to do? They would end up inviting him to talk about his journey.

Kelly describes these people as being highly ordinary people who never had a chance to go on an adventure like his.

Does Kelly describe these people as being highly extraordinary? No, Kelly doesn’t describe these people as being highly extraordinary. Kelly describes these people as being highly ordinary. Have they ever had a chance to go on an adventure like his? No, they have never had a chance to go on an adventure like his.

He says that the more upbeat he was, the more upbeat they were.

Does he say that the more upbeat he was, the sadder they were? No, he doesn’t say that the more upbeat he was, the sadder they were. He says that the more upbeat he was, the more upbeat they were.

And it was his job to live in the moment for these people.

What was it his job to do? It was his job to live in the moment for these people.

Living so close to death made Kelly rethink his relationship with time.

What did living so close to death make Kelly rethink? Living so close to death made Kelly rethink his relationship with time.

I think there are a lot of people who have trouble staying in the present.

What do a lot of people have trouble doing? A lot of people have trouble staying in the present.

There are some people who like to slip into the past, as a means perhaps to fantasize or escape…. I often retreat to the future.

Where do some people like to slip into? Some people like to slip into the past. Is it a means to perhaps fantasize or escape? Yes, it is a means to perhaps fantasize or escape. Does he often retreat to the past? No, he doesn’t often retreat to the past. He often retreats to the future.

… my entire life was shifted to the future,

Was his entire life shifted to the past? No, his entire life wasn’t shifted to the past. His entire life was shifted to the future.

and the thought of doing something now, for the enjoyment or the pleasures…of just right now, without any sense at all that it would ever be used again, that it could ever be brought forward, was extremely difficult and disconcerting and I fought it day by day.

Was this thought exciting or disconcerting? This thought was disconcerting.

Did he fight it hour by hour? No, he didn’t fight it hour by hour. He fought it day by day.