Ponderings of an inquisitive mind

I have a very inquisitive student. She's always asking something. Today these were her 3 ponderings:

1. Why did you become a teacher? The reason for this question comes from the fact that she's now trying to decide what to do with her future. People have suggested she take the TESL program and teach English in her country, but she's not convinced. Her favourite response came from a colleague who said "I always wanted to be a teacher; I just didn't know what I wanted to teach until I was 17 years old." How could my "I kind of fell into it" compete with that?
   
2. Why do some ugly women get great guys and some beautiful women stay single? Now, she didn't define any of those terms, but I think the obvious answer is that appearance isn't everything. I said something about the intimidation factor associated with highly attractive people and the inner beauty aspect of others. She didn't accept that.
   
3. Why do people display pictures of their families at work? Having never had a desk to permanently call my own, I haven't ever considered bringing a photo to work, but my take on this phenomenon (or normalcy in North American workplaces) is a combination of desiring to show off one's family and desiring to feel at home at work. Either way, I love getting a glimpse into the lives of people with whom I work but will likely never socialize with.
   

It's fabulous to have students who display critical thinking skills and truly engage with the language through thought and discussion. I have no problem answering questions such as "What's the difference between make it and make it through?" and "Is it ever correct to use a double negative?" (last week's questions). I am, after all, a language teacher. It's these culture-based, human motivation-ridden questions that throw me for a loop.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.