Would you rather have a dinosaur you could ride, or one that you could talk to but was too dignified to let you ride him?

For me, the answer is pretty easy: a dinosaur that I could ride! I never drive anywhere because parking in Charlottesville is a nightmare, but if my ride were a dinosaur, parking would no longer be a hassle. I would like to see the meter lady try and ticket a t-rex. Plus, a dinosaur would be better for the environment. I’ve asked this question to a lot of my friends, and they usually choose a dinosaur they could talk to because they would want to find out about the history of our planet. But I like the mystery of the past. The “unknown” is what forces us to have faith, and faith is one of the most powerful instruments a person can have. It’s okay that we don’t have it all figured out—we’re not supposed to. Regardless of how we got here, we are here now for a purpose, and I would rather spend my time figuring out that purpose.

I know this post seems kind of random given its supposed to explain why I want to be a summer intern at Play. However, I thought starting with a hypothetical question actually transited pretty nicely into what I wanted to say. To me, hypothetical questions are inspiring. They force you to think from new perspectives and be creative. They are also fun—it’s fun to imagine your life in another way and fun to watch people squirm over their answers. That’s why I want to intern at Play. I hope to inspire, be inspired, and have fun while doing it.

-Mary Bowen Cates

University of Virginia c/o 2010

McIntire School of Commerce

*PS—I can’t take credit for that question. I found it on the college humor website. Glorious “would you rather” section. I highly recommend it.