Character Interview with Cole
So Cole, tell me a little about yourself. What are your talents and skills?
Cole: I used to grill up a mean burger. :) I could drive the wheels off a race car. I was a finish carpenter, and I did good work—paid attention to detail. I was good with rock, too. I built a killer waterfall in the back yard.
Do any of these talents or skills have a down side?
Not that I can think of. My wife, Torey, hates when I track sawdust into the house. :)
What is your biggest fear?
Cole: Seeing someone I love hurt. Seeing Alex so ready to give up on himself. That kid’s got such a good heart and so much potential, but he doesn’t believe in himself, and there’s nothing I can do to change that.
What is one strong memory that has stuck with you from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?
Cole: Grandpa showing me how to build my first birdhouse. I remember him being pleased that I was so set on doing everything just right. That was the day he told me about respecting my tools and taking good care of them. Looking back, I can see he was pleased I’d inherited his love of working with wood.
Can you tell me about some experiences from your childhood that have affected the sort of person you are now?
Cole: My parents were good, fair disciplinarians, and that taught me to be responsible. I’ve looked at why I’m optimistic and Alex is pessimistic, and I think it’s got something to do with nature, but I think it’s more about the atmosphere we grew up in. My dad had a sky’s-the-limit attitude, even though he never got past the eighth grade and works as a construction grunt. My mom always asked me about homework and told me I could go to college if I wanted to. I chose carpentry because I love it. I make good money at it because I believe in my skills, and that’s something my parent’s taught me.
If you could choose a different identity, who would you be?
Cole: I like being who I am.
What’s the last thing you wrote?
Cole: A love note to Torey. I know it sounds corny, but it’s something I’ve done since we first started going out. I was kind of shy around girls, so it was hard for me to come right out and say how I felt. I got over that, but the notes became a habit. It’s something I’ve never told anyone about.
They say scent is the most powerful sense. What's your favorite smell?
Cole: I have several. Fresh-cut cedar, a burger on the grill, and racing fuel.
What’s your favorite sound?
Cole: The waterfall in my backyard.
And your favorite season?
Cole: Summer—it’s racing season.
What’s your goal or motivation in life?
Cole: Don’t you mean was?
Oh right. Sorry. So, did you have a vice?
Cole: Probably those damn hamburgers.
Well, as bad as they're supposed to be for you, at least they didn't kill you.
Cole: Yeah, I guess I played that right.
This interviewing-a-ghost thing isn't so easy. I have to revise all my stock questions. Here's one that should work: describe your most embarrassing moment.
Cole: That would be the night I met Torey. My buddy Doug had been fooling around at work, as usual (I’m surprised that guy’s managed to keep his job so long) and he accidentally whacked me in the back of the head with a two-by-four. If the boss hadn’t seen it, it wouldn’t have been any big deal. But then I wouldn’t have met Torey, either. He told Doug to take me to the emergency room. It seemed like an overreaction, but I guess he was covering his ass. So I got to the ER, and this cute little nurse, barely out of school, took my vitals. The doctor checked me out and left the nurse to tell me what I needed to do when I got home. She said that since I had a mild concussion, someone should stay with me that night. Doug, smartass Casanova that he is, said, “So, are you volunteering?” I wanted to strangle him. He knew how bashful I was with girls, and I’m sure he was well aware of how attracted I was to this one. Fortunately, Torey had a sense of humor about it.
You're getting ready for a night out. Where are you going? Who will you be with?
Cole: That would’ve been Torey and me going out to dinner at some exotic restaurant. She’s a real foodie, and she loves to try new places. Me, I could eat a Communication Breakdown Burger at McMenamin’s three times a week, but she made a hobby out of hitting every restaurant in town. We tried to have a “date night” every week, which isn’t easy with her shift bouncing around. I hope now that I’m gone she takes Alex on some of her eating adventures. He needs to have his horizons expanded, and I’d hate to see her staying home all the time or eating alone.
Tell me about the last time you cried.
Cole: It was after I died, when I first saw how Alex was living. I guess I wanted to believe things weren’t that bad for him because otherwise I would’ve had to do something about it. And I knew if I had, he’d have never forgiven me for betraying his trust. But it was incredibly selfish of me. When I saw the conditions he was living in and witnessed firsthand how violent his father was, I knew I’d really messed up. I should've got him out of there, even if it would've meant never seeing him again. It broke my heart to realize he’d suffered two years longer than he needed to because of my selfishness.
How has your experience with the abuse Alex has suffered affected how you feel about discipline?
Cole: Discipline should be about helping a kid become a good person, not about punishing him. I’m all for rules—I think you’re not doing your job as a parent if you don’t enforce them. But if you’re using discipline as a way of getting even, you shouldn’t have kids. And abuse is in no way discipline.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Cole: This is going to sound sappy, but I’d have to say Alex. That kid has lived a hellish life. I’ll bet he hasn’t had a single day when some part of him wasn’t hurting, and yet he doesn’t walk away, because he loves his mother and wants to take care of her. And then there’s the thing with me. He saw who I was, how I get stupid and fly off the handle when I see things like child abuse. He figured I’d get myself killed, going after his dad, so he refused to tell me where he lived, or even his last name. That’s one tough, brave, honorable kid. It breaks my heart that he can’t see himself the way I see him.
Who’s your worst enemy?
Cole: I don’t have any enemies. I don’t believe in it. If everyone just showed the people around them a little tolerance and compassion, we could all get along. Why can’t people give each other a chance?
You sound like a pretty decent guy, but nobody’s perfect. What are the things you like least about yourself?
Cole: I trust people too much. It gets me into trouble sometimes, especially with Torey.
Anything more incriminating than that? What’s your greatest flaw?
Cole: It used to be anger, but I’ve mostly got a handle on that now. I guess I’d say it’s stubbornness. If I’d listened to Torey, I’d have gotten Alex away from his dad a long time ago. And if I hadn’t been so hardheaded about doing things my way and bringing Alex and Torey together, I could have avoided the confrontation with his dad that ended in such a horrible way.
Do you have an obsession?
Cole: Torey would probably say Alex is an obsession, but I don’t think she really gets it. “Obsession” implies that it’s too strong, too much, and I don’t see how you can say that about wanting to see someone be safe, loved, and happy.
If you followed politics, what party would best reflect your beliefs?
Cole: I guess I’m middle-of-the road. Both sides seem a little extreme. Why can’t we all just get along?
How do you deal with conflict and change?
Cole: Change doesn’t really bother me. I try to go with the flow and make the best of a situation. I don’t like conflict, though. I hate seeing people fight.
Whom do you most wish to please? Why?
Cole: Torey. I love her. That’s what made the thing with Alex so tough. She wanted me to do something I couldn’t, so I had to let her down.
If you knew you had exactly one month to live, what would you do?
Cole: It’s a little late for that one, don’t you think?
Oh, right, sorry. It's those damn stock questions. Okay, so now that you're dead, if you were allowed to come back as any person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Cole: I’d want to come back as myself. I wasn’t done yet.
Cole: I used to grill up a mean burger. :) I could drive the wheels off a race car. I was a finish carpenter, and I did good work—paid attention to detail. I was good with rock, too. I built a killer waterfall in the back yard.
Do any of these talents or skills have a down side?
Not that I can think of. My wife, Torey, hates when I track sawdust into the house. :)
What is your biggest fear?
Cole: Seeing someone I love hurt. Seeing Alex so ready to give up on himself. That kid’s got such a good heart and so much potential, but he doesn’t believe in himself, and there’s nothing I can do to change that.
What is one strong memory that has stuck with you from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?
Cole: Grandpa showing me how to build my first birdhouse. I remember him being pleased that I was so set on doing everything just right. That was the day he told me about respecting my tools and taking good care of them. Looking back, I can see he was pleased I’d inherited his love of working with wood.
Can you tell me about some experiences from your childhood that have affected the sort of person you are now?
Cole: My parents were good, fair disciplinarians, and that taught me to be responsible. I’ve looked at why I’m optimistic and Alex is pessimistic, and I think it’s got something to do with nature, but I think it’s more about the atmosphere we grew up in. My dad had a sky’s-the-limit attitude, even though he never got past the eighth grade and works as a construction grunt. My mom always asked me about homework and told me I could go to college if I wanted to. I chose carpentry because I love it. I make good money at it because I believe in my skills, and that’s something my parent’s taught me.
If you could choose a different identity, who would you be?
Cole: I like being who I am.
What’s the last thing you wrote?
Cole: A love note to Torey. I know it sounds corny, but it’s something I’ve done since we first started going out. I was kind of shy around girls, so it was hard for me to come right out and say how I felt. I got over that, but the notes became a habit. It’s something I’ve never told anyone about.
They say scent is the most powerful sense. What's your favorite smell?
Cole: I have several. Fresh-cut cedar, a burger on the grill, and racing fuel.
What’s your favorite sound?
Cole: The waterfall in my backyard.
And your favorite season?
Cole: Summer—it’s racing season.
What’s your goal or motivation in life?
Cole: Don’t you mean was?
Oh right. Sorry. So, did you have a vice?
Cole: Probably those damn hamburgers.
Well, as bad as they're supposed to be for you, at least they didn't kill you.
Cole: Yeah, I guess I played that right.
This interviewing-a-ghost thing isn't so easy. I have to revise all my stock questions. Here's one that should work: describe your most embarrassing moment.
Cole: That would be the night I met Torey. My buddy Doug had been fooling around at work, as usual (I’m surprised that guy’s managed to keep his job so long) and he accidentally whacked me in the back of the head with a two-by-four. If the boss hadn’t seen it, it wouldn’t have been any big deal. But then I wouldn’t have met Torey, either. He told Doug to take me to the emergency room. It seemed like an overreaction, but I guess he was covering his ass. So I got to the ER, and this cute little nurse, barely out of school, took my vitals. The doctor checked me out and left the nurse to tell me what I needed to do when I got home. She said that since I had a mild concussion, someone should stay with me that night. Doug, smartass Casanova that he is, said, “So, are you volunteering?” I wanted to strangle him. He knew how bashful I was with girls, and I’m sure he was well aware of how attracted I was to this one. Fortunately, Torey had a sense of humor about it.
You're getting ready for a night out. Where are you going? Who will you be with?
Cole: That would’ve been Torey and me going out to dinner at some exotic restaurant. She’s a real foodie, and she loves to try new places. Me, I could eat a Communication Breakdown Burger at McMenamin’s three times a week, but she made a hobby out of hitting every restaurant in town. We tried to have a “date night” every week, which isn’t easy with her shift bouncing around. I hope now that I’m gone she takes Alex on some of her eating adventures. He needs to have his horizons expanded, and I’d hate to see her staying home all the time or eating alone.
Tell me about the last time you cried.
Cole: It was after I died, when I first saw how Alex was living. I guess I wanted to believe things weren’t that bad for him because otherwise I would’ve had to do something about it. And I knew if I had, he’d have never forgiven me for betraying his trust. But it was incredibly selfish of me. When I saw the conditions he was living in and witnessed firsthand how violent his father was, I knew I’d really messed up. I should've got him out of there, even if it would've meant never seeing him again. It broke my heart to realize he’d suffered two years longer than he needed to because of my selfishness.
How has your experience with the abuse Alex has suffered affected how you feel about discipline?
Cole: Discipline should be about helping a kid become a good person, not about punishing him. I’m all for rules—I think you’re not doing your job as a parent if you don’t enforce them. But if you’re using discipline as a way of getting even, you shouldn’t have kids. And abuse is in no way discipline.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Cole: This is going to sound sappy, but I’d have to say Alex. That kid has lived a hellish life. I’ll bet he hasn’t had a single day when some part of him wasn’t hurting, and yet he doesn’t walk away, because he loves his mother and wants to take care of her. And then there’s the thing with me. He saw who I was, how I get stupid and fly off the handle when I see things like child abuse. He figured I’d get myself killed, going after his dad, so he refused to tell me where he lived, or even his last name. That’s one tough, brave, honorable kid. It breaks my heart that he can’t see himself the way I see him.
Who’s your worst enemy?
Cole: I don’t have any enemies. I don’t believe in it. If everyone just showed the people around them a little tolerance and compassion, we could all get along. Why can’t people give each other a chance?
You sound like a pretty decent guy, but nobody’s perfect. What are the things you like least about yourself?
Cole: I trust people too much. It gets me into trouble sometimes, especially with Torey.
Anything more incriminating than that? What’s your greatest flaw?
Cole: It used to be anger, but I’ve mostly got a handle on that now. I guess I’d say it’s stubbornness. If I’d listened to Torey, I’d have gotten Alex away from his dad a long time ago. And if I hadn’t been so hardheaded about doing things my way and bringing Alex and Torey together, I could have avoided the confrontation with his dad that ended in such a horrible way.
Do you have an obsession?
Cole: Torey would probably say Alex is an obsession, but I don’t think she really gets it. “Obsession” implies that it’s too strong, too much, and I don’t see how you can say that about wanting to see someone be safe, loved, and happy.
If you followed politics, what party would best reflect your beliefs?
Cole: I guess I’m middle-of-the road. Both sides seem a little extreme. Why can’t we all just get along?
How do you deal with conflict and change?
Cole: Change doesn’t really bother me. I try to go with the flow and make the best of a situation. I don’t like conflict, though. I hate seeing people fight.
Whom do you most wish to please? Why?
Cole: Torey. I love her. That’s what made the thing with Alex so tough. She wanted me to do something I couldn’t, so I had to let her down.
If you knew you had exactly one month to live, what would you do?
Cole: It’s a little late for that one, don’t you think?
Oh, right, sorry. It's those damn stock questions. Okay, so now that you're dead, if you were allowed to come back as any person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Cole: I’d want to come back as myself. I wasn’t done yet.
