Would you rather…?

Recently I purchased a book called Would You Rather… four hundred and sixty-five provocative questions to get teenagers talking, by Doug Fields. It is one of a series of books and games in the "Would You Rather" series. I thought this one would be useful with both the Youth Group I lead and my Sunday school class.

It is, as the name implies, just a list of quick questions that start with "Would you rather…?" Some are just conversation starters (…drink Coke or Pepsi?), some are silly (…have one thick bushy eyebrow or long nose hairs?), while others can really make you think (…make a difference in the world and be unknown or be famous for doing nothing?).

I thought it might be fun to come up with a few ‘Would you rather…’ questions for this weekend’s column. So, without further ado, here they are! Never mind the practicality of your answer, just put yourself in the situation and answer as if you could accept one of the choices offered, with no conditions attached. (note: "neither" is not an acceptable answer. Indecision benefits no one, so make a choice and take a stand — it’s just for fun… mostly.) Answer any or all of them!

First, a few fun questions.

Would you rather…

…live in Dog River or Mayberry?

…hang out with Bob & Doug McKenzie or The Friendly Giant?

…watch Mr Rogers or Mr Dress-up?

…have lunch with the Geddy Lee or Gordon Lightfoot?

…travel non-stop by train from Toronto to Halifax or by plane from Toronto to Vancouver?

…be a lumberjack or an accountant?

…spend an hour listening to accordion music or bagpipe music?

…be the grand champion on Bumper Stumpers or the 3rd-place contestant on Jeopardy?

…eat dinner at Molly’s Reach or Mel’s Diner?

…spend the summer in Inuvik or the winter in Toronto?

And finally, a couple of tougher questions.

Would you rather…

…have lunch at the Soup Kitchen or pan handle on the streets for spare change to buy food?

…be rich and lonely or poor with a lot of friends?