Roadside Wisdom: William V. "Bill" Bell

What is your perfect idea of happiness? My perfect idea of happiness is having no worries about anything and just enjoying life and all of God’s blessings.

What is your greatest fear? I fear that I might not live to be around to see my two (2) grand daughters grow into mature young ladies in their 20s and beyond.

What is the trait you most deplore in others? The trait that I deplore most in others is deceit and dishonesty.

Which living person do you most admire? I admire my wife who is a great mother and grandmother and my only living aunt who is 90 years old and still lives alone and is very independent.

Which is your greatest extravagance? My greatest extravagance is probably clothes.

What is your current state of mind? Right now I am relaxed, I am looking at the final four and Duke is in the lead at half-time.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? I don’t have an answer; I am not sure how you rate virtues.

On what occasion do you lie? I try hard not to lie, but rather say nothing or be non-committal on a subject, especially if lying could cause serious harm to the issue or subject.

What do you most dislike about your appearance? I dislike my appearance most when I have gone too long without a haircut or a shave.

Which living person do you most despise? I am not sure that I focus on any one person to say that I despise them. There are persons that I dislike how they present themselves on various subjects.

What is the quality you most like in a man? The quality I like most in a man is the steadfast strength of his convictions, loyalty and honesty.

What is the quality you most like in a woman? The quality I like most in a woman is how they present themselves, their presence, and their honesty.

 

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? The phrase that I probably most over use is saying “in my opinion”.

What or who is the greatest love of your life? My most immediate family is the greatest love in my life.

When and where were you happiest? I probably was happiest over a period of time during my youth growing up in the summers with no worries and very carefree.

 

Which talent would you most like to have? I would like to be ale to play the piano well.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would probably be much more complimentary of others and more accepting of praise when offered or given to me, which I don’t do well.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? I consider becoming a father my greatest achievement.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would it be? If I were to die and had my choice of what I would come back as, it would be as a trained fighter pilot.

 

Where would you most like to live? I have been fortunate over my life to have traveled both nationally and internationally, as well as to live in various parts of the United States. I tell persons that I am in Durham by choice and not by chance and I like living in Durham most.

What is your most treasured possession? My most treasured material possession is probably a goal piece and necklace chain given to me by my wife many years ago which I very seldom take off.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? The lowest depth of misery for me, I think, would occur if I were to become sick and be entirely dependent on others for my care and well being.

What is your favorite occupation? I think fighter pilots have a great occupation and would be my favorite occupation, because of the excitement and dependence of using your acquired skills and training. Occupation as a surgeon would also be one of my favorite occupations because of the individual skills required and the opportunity to make a positive difference in one’s life.

What is your most marked characteristic? I am a quiet and not very talkative or outwardly emotional person who listens well.

 

What do you most value in your friends? I value honesty, loyalty and sincerity in a friend.

 

Who are your favorite writers? I don’t have necessarily a favorite writer; I tend to favor reading auto-biographies and biographies.

Who is your hero of fiction? I don’t have a hero of fiction, because I very seldom read fiction.

Which historical figure do you most identify with? I admire greatly the work of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. for their strength and conviction of ideas and level of quiet introspect.

Who are your favorite names? I like the names of my children (William, Tiffany, Anjanee and Kristen).

What is it that you most dislike? I dislike persons who are overly boastful, conceited, egotistical and dishonest to a fault.

What is your greatest regret? I regret that I did not spend as much quality time with my mother before she died.

How would you like to die? I would like to die peacefully without any prolonged suffering.

What is your motto? My motto in general is to not worry or stress yourself about those things you can’t control and don’t worry or stress yourself about those things you can control if you know with in yourself that you have done your best.

Discussion

Share and discuss “Roadside Wisdom: William V. "Bill" Bell” on social media.