Proust Questionnaire
Tony Esteves | Digital & Creative Strategist, ARTA
Tony Esteves
Responds
to a Proust
Questionnaire
What is your greatest regret?
When I was eleven, I had a crush on a little brown-
haired girl — let’s call her ‘Lisa.’ In Grade 6, we had
a classroom dance. All the boys and girls felt very
awkward and would stand against the wall, leaving
the dance fl oor as empty as possible. I was not as shy
at dancing, so I made the fi rst move and asked one
of the girls to dance.
My fear, however, was demonstrating that I had
a crush on Lisa. I decided that I would ask Lisa for
the last dance because, with eleven-year-old logic,
the last dance is much less signifi cant than the
fi rst dance. The last song was a slow song for some
reason, and I did indeed dance with her.
After the dance, the boys came up to me and asked
if I ‘liked’ Lisa. I lied and said, “No.” I regret not
being more brave and admitting my true feelings.
What is your idea of happiness?
The happiest day of my life was when I got married.
When I look back at that moment, I remember the
joy of the event surrounded by family and friends
— and the prime rib. Y’know, now that I mention it,
the second happiest day of my life was eating at a
Brazilian steakhouse.
What is your most treasured possession?
I don’t know if Lego counts as it’s more a collection
of bricks than a single possession. I developed an
affi nity for Lego in my mid-twenties when I had a
disposable income and time on my hands. Lately,
my passion for the toy blocks was rekindled as
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my eldest started playing with Lego and we work
together to build playsets.
What is your motto?
Michael Jordan once said “Obstacles don’t have to
stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around
and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through
it, or work around it.” My life may not have been
the path I pictured for myself, but it’s a journey of
striving for my goals.
What is your favourite place in Canada?
My favourite place is Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC.
I was lucky enough to walk through Stanley Park
before the windstorm of 2006 and be surrounded
by the ancient, majestic trees. It felt so incredibly
peaceful and grounding . ●
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If
you run into a wall, don’t turn around
and give up. Figure out how to climb
it, go through it, or work around it.”
- Michael Jordan