8 years ago, I was randomly called, mailed, plucked from a barrel or something and asked to participate in a survey.
I am a bit of a survey whore. I don’t mind participating in AC Neilsen surveys, or random calls about which political party I would vote for. I even participated in a continuous survey where you have to SCAN EVERY SINGLE GROCERY ITEM YOU BUY and then enter the price you bought it for. That got a little much after a while, but I sorta felt like I was involved in something.
I really wish I would be picked to provide TV ratings info and show those Current Affair/Today Tonight crowd where to shove their crap shows. I think I would watch obscure SBS shows on purpose to help and help them out.
I digress. 8 years ago the ANU picked me to be involved in a research study into mental health, including analysis into alchohol, drug use and cognitive function. For 20 years they will interview me every 4 years and perform similar tests each time to see how I progress.
It’s an interesting study and I am glad to be involved in it. I am asked questions about my work life, family life, alcohol use (would like to see that graph!) and general feelings about how stressed I get and what I do when under pressure.
The cognitive tests are actually quite good and I get quite competitive in them. I did it last night, and there was a coded numbering system with symbols attached to each number. The symbols are listed down a page and you have to read out the number that each one corresponds to. I had to see how many I could read in 90 seconds and when I was finished, Jean (the same lady who had performed my 2 previous tests) said that I got one of the highest scores she’d ever seen in 8 years. KICK ARSE!!
She takes my blood pressure, a cheek swab and measurements and the test take around 90 minutes to complete. I had to do whilst also cooking dinner for the kids, but somehow we got through it.
I’ve always liked the concept of 7-Up, 14-Up, 21-Up…etc. I like that in 4 years I will hear from Jean again and we’ll go through it once more. I think back to where I was 4 years ago, and then 4 years before that. Somehow I think that in 4 years my life will be very different again.
- I’ll be 35.
- I won’t be living in a share house with 2 guys.
- I will be living in my own house with someone that I will hopefully be with for 40 more years.
- I won’t be living pay to pay.
- My kids will be 12, 9 and 7. Shit. I will nearly have a teenage daughter!! Scary stuff.
- All the Harry Potter movies will be finished. (thank fuck!)
- The Rugby World Cup will be on again.
- Guns n’ Roses, still won’t have released Chinese Democracy.
- John Howard will be rotting in an old people’s home.
- Rudd will be halfway through his 2nd term.
- The Eels will be looking for their 4th straight premiership. (HA!)
- 500Mb iPods will be released.
- Big Brother will celebrate it’s 10 year anniversary by putting housemates in a bubble below Sydney Harbour.
Ok. I’m done.
Time to practice playing “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again” on Bass…
More news on that soon 
September 14th, 2007 at 6:45 am
You know, if you keep making nasty comments about Harry Potter you might have no friends when you are 35.
Ha.
September 14th, 2007 at 8:09 am
What she said about Harry. *kicks you in the shin*
I love 7-Up. Great, great idea.
September 14th, 2007 at 10:00 am
I recently went through a security clearance that involved being interviewed by a psychologist. I found it quite confronting, having to talk about my life and whether I was happy and content, that sort of thing. Psychologists can ask very tricky questions and if they stumble across something interesting they’ll pick at it like a scab until they see blood. Or tears. I suppose it depends on how much you’re willing to reveal during such a discussion (though, being a security interview, the intention is that you reveal everything). I’m not sure how I would go, having to reassess my life at four yearly interviews. I sympathise with the participants in the 7-up series who found it hard to go through every seven years AND to have it all recorded and edited and shown to the world on big movie screens.
Anyway, I also love doing surveys, but I don’t know that I’d sign up for this one. I’m my own worst critic and getting a report card full of D’s every four years would just about do me in.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:32 am
Sounds fascinating Mick. Especially the Potter part :-p
September 17th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Yeah i do this thing too! “Pathway through life’ or something! i had mine done 2 weeks ago. Interesting to be able to compare the results over the last 8 years and see what has been going on! Good thing to see i am not getting any worse! Maybe all that alchohol is not that bad after all!