Today is day 13 of my self-imposed 30 in 30 writing assignment. I feel like CRAP, and was about to blow the whole thing off, but then my husband gave me just the right amount of encouragement, and here I am. This is going to be one of those filler posts, because it feels better to do that than to completely give up on my assignment.
The following is something I did on facebook in February. You know those annoying things people do and then tag you to do one of your own? Well I did one and here it is. I apologize to any of you who already read it on facebook. You have my permission to move along. Nothing new to see here (although I have updated a few for accuracy).
25 Random Things About Me
1. I am an extremely private person and one of the least likely people to actually do something like this.
2. Facebook and my blog are forcing me to be less private and so far it has been a good thing for me. Please do not use any of the following facts about me to steal my identity. You would damage the new comfort I have with public exposure.
3. I am not good at small talk. If I am in a conversation it is because I am genuinely interested in the person and interested in a substantial conversation.
4. I love learning about people and listening to them share. This led me to major in Psychology when I first entered college, but I hated it. Eventually I changed my major to English Lit and found my true passion.
5. If I could spend the rest of my professional career reading, analyzing, critiquing and writing about Literature I would be in heaven. And yet I am not interested in becoming a teacher.
6. It took me 16 years of going to school part-time in the evenings to finish my degree. I think it is my greatest accomplishment because it would have been so easy to give up, and I almost did, many times. I did not walk in my graduation ceremony and that is my greatest regret.
7. My sister is proud of my accomplishments. She cheers me on in all of my endeavors. She is my biggest fan and my best friend. I love her dearly.
8. I have had several great romances in my life. I feel fortunate to have shared the parts of my past that I did with each of them.
9. I married the greatest love of my life. Rob is my best friend (yes, I have more than one best friend), and a perfect compliment for me.
10. We dated for 8 years before we married. In October of 2003 we eloped to Kauai with his brother and sister-in-law. My dad & sister crashed our wedding and made it truly the happiest day of my life.
11. Sometimes I have an unnatural fear that something tragic is going to separate us, because I know neither of us would ever willingly leave the other. Sometimes I worry that we are too good to be true or to last forever.
12. I feel like I am on my therapist’s couch, and I am a little panicked because I just realized I am only on number 12. I have to reveal 13 more things about myself? SHIT! I swear sometimes.
13. I have been offered the job from every job interview I have ever been on. This fact was in the back of my mind when I was deep in the interview process at Hay House Publishing. It was for one of my dream jobs – assistant editor – but I knew I could not manage the four, ten hour days that would have been required of me. I withdrew myself from consideration and am still often sick about it. A healthy me would have landed the job and ROCKED it! Just another reason Fibromyalgia SUCKS (see #17)!
14. I have an extreme aversion to feet. I think ALL feet are grotesque, and yet on every vacation my husband and I take photos of our feet. One day we plan to make a vacation album featuring our feet and all the places they have been.
Hawaii 10/08
15. I am still close with my best friends from high school. We had more fun together than a group of young girls should be allowed. We helped each other through some pretty tough times too. Some day I plan to tell all of our tales in a book. It may be best for us if our parents are not allowed to read it.
16. I was not allowed to walk in my high school graduation because on the night of our senior boat cruise, I jumped overboard into the Newport Harbor with 2 of my best friends. Yes there was alcohol involved, and no I do not regret it. It was an intense moment for all of us, a sort of baptism into the real world. At the senior breakfast the next day everyone was calling us “splash,” and no one turned us in. It took a while but they figured out which 3 students were involved. Seriously, it was a stupid thing to do, and yet we all three still say it was worth it.
17. I have Fibromyalgia and I live every day with pain and fatigue. Some days it is manageable, some days it is unbearable. I believe that one day I will be free of Fibromyalgia. I started my blog to help me learn to live better with it, and to do research to help me one day live without it. (This was actually news to some of my friends on facebook when I wrote this back in February. I am living more honestly now thanks to my blog.)
18. I also started a support group. There are 52 members in my group and I take a lot of pride in sharing what I have learned, and looking for new information to help all of us live better. I avoid things that foster negativity or victimization. I think I am a natural leader.
19. I am also a control freak! This may be why I think I am a natural leader, because I tend to take control and do things my way. But my way is the best way, right? Isn’t that what all control freaks think?
20. I think my husband appreciates that I am a control freak (most of the time). That way he gets to be a slacker and there are no repercussions. See, I told you we are the perfect compliments for each other. P.S. He is really not a slacker.
21. I started watching General Hospital the summer I turned 8 years old. I still watch General Hospital. I turn 40 this summer. I can’t believe I just admitted that! The GH part – not the 40 part. I am actually looking forward to turning 40.
22. I have a dry, cutting sense of humor I inherited from my father. Most of my best traits come from him.
23. One of my favorite childhood memories is of a time I made my dad laugh. We were up late watching SNL. Meatloaf was the musical guest and it was the first time I had ever seen him. He took the stage and I made the comment that he looked more like a meatball to me. My dad laughed so hard he cried. It made me happy to make him so happy.
24. My mom left when I was 6 and my sister was 9. My dad raised us for several years alone which was very hard on him, and which is why I still remember vividly that moment when I made him laugh. He is my hero.
25. This has been a fun little exercise, but I do not think you can truly get to know anyone from a list of 25 things. People are more wonderful and complex than that.
13/30
I understand that you can’t know a person by learning 25 miscellaneous facts about them, but still it was insightful. Thank you.
You reminded me of how long it took me to get my degree. It was 12 years in the making to finally get my BA. I bailed out of high school in my junior year, got my GED and joined the Air Force at the ripe old age of 17. I married, had a child and was widowed in short order. Had no idea what to do with myself after that so I started going to school. I started out at secretarial school because…well, honestly I didn’t think to aspire any higher!
Found I enjoyed learning (as opposed to high school) and went back to college. Unfortunately I remarried another military man and we spent many years traveling up and down the west coast and having children. Was able to finish up my degree (Accounting) at University of Washington in 1998.
I was not going to walk at graduation because I had five children at home and a husband (now ex) who could not have cared less. But at the last minute I grabbed my cap and gown and off I went. We were seated alphabetically and I was seated between my two closest friends at school. It was a riot. 34 years old and we were acting like teenagers. I have no pictures of the event, but it is still a fun memory and I do keep in touch with those ladies. Thank you for reminding me of that and I wish you had been able to go to your graduation. Maybe someday you’ll get another opportunity? I promise I will bring an air horn if you do…