January 15, 1991. Walking up Congress Avenue in Austin, with thousands of others, to see Mom sworn in as governor of Texas.
When were you happiest?
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
I would like to say right now, but probably childhood – though even that may be wrong, so I'll say six weeks ago walking in the Lakes.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 16 January 2010 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 581 →
Ted Danson
American actor
I am a bit of a Pollyanna – I spend most of my day happy.
Dominic West
English actor
Last year. I was with my wife and all my kids in northern California, driving an RV. I remember thinking that life couldn’t possibly get any better.
Paul Merson
English footballer and pundit
On holiday in Orlando with my wife, Kate, and kids just before lockdown. I wasn’t drinking or gambling. I was so happy, so at peace with myself – I’d been searching for that for many a year.
More on time & hindsight
- What is the most important lesson life has taught you? 141 answers
- What advice would you give your twenty-year-old self, and what should they ignore? 82 answers
- What scares you about getting older? 63 answers
- What is the best advice you have ever received? 31 answers
- If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere, what would it say and why? 24 answers
- What is something you were told by a parent, teacher, or mentor that you still repeat to yourself? 23 answers
Also answered this
Hayley Mills, Jessica Raine, Jennifer Hudson, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Julie Walters, Madhur Jaffrey
Search the directory for somebody in particular.
Explore further
- All time & hindsight questions
- The The Q&A questionnaire — 25 questions from the same format
- Explore the archive — by field, age, era, and subject