A Thought

Daily I am faced with two alternatives: walk a narrow path on a wide road, or walk a wide path on a narrow road.

25 Facts

There was a note going around Facebook a while back... (For those of you wise enough not to involve yourselves with Facebook, a “note” is basically the equivalent of some sort of blog post. Why it’s called a “note” is a mystery to me; for that matter, why a person’s Facebook page is called a “wall” is equally mysterious.) But regardless of the names, there’s a trend filtering through the Facebook world, entitled “25 Random Things About Me.” It’s rather like a chain letter: each person invited to read someone’s list of 25 pieces of information is then supposed to write a similar “note” on his/her own “wall” listing 25 things about himself or herself.

In spite of the numerous problems with Facebook, I decided this fad might have some merit. After all, what better method exists for selfishly forcing useless bits of personal trivia upon others? I can’t think of one, personally; face-to-face conversations are so antiquated, and telephone chats are becoming fairly passé as well. So here, for the augmentation of your useless information collection, and hopefully for your reading pleasure, are 25 Facts About Me.

*My List of 25 Facts*

1. #1 Before I reached the age of four, my aunt and paternal grandmother spent a summer taking turns babysitting me during the day. At Aunt Mary’s house, I watched Mickey Mouse cartoons, picked cherry tomatoes from her garden, and always had Red Pop with lunch.
   
2. #2 I don’t particularly like soda in general, but I like Red Pop to this day.
   
3. #3 At Grandma’s house, there were occasionally days that Grandma would wear her “Gettin’ Wet Clothes” while she sat by the kiddy pool. Whenever this particular outfit appeared, it signaled permission for me to drench her lawn chair and her person with cupfuls of water from my pool.
   
4. #4 One day at the age of three, when I was angry because I hadn't wanted to leave Grandma's house, I deliberately rammed my head upward into the car windshield and cracked it.
   
5. #5 I had serious anger issues as a kid.
   
6. #6 No lasting damage to my head was ever documented.
   
7. #7 I love violets and Lily of the Valley. Calla lilies are a close runner-up, too.
   
8. #8 Somewhere in my mother’s garage sits a large popcorn tin: the last shrine of my sparkly rock collection.
   
9. #9 My younger sister, Becky, and I named all of our stuffed animals; sometimes we got very creative. The most original name I ever bestowed upon one of my stuffed animals was given to my favorite black kitty: “Sleeping-Beauty-Costa-Rica.” I still have no notion of where I came up with that name, but I remember thinking it especially pretty at the time.
   
10. #10 I’m not at liberty to disclose Becky’s most original name, but I can tell you that our parents quickly convinced her to change it.
    
11. #11 I miss the “Calvin and Hobbs” comic. Any strips involving snowmen, bath time, or the babysitter, were especially fun.
    
12. #12 I was fortunate enough to have five freshman roommates during my college years; each of these girls was far more amazing than I deserved.
    
13. #13 I still enjoy listening to CDs of silly kids’ songs. I sing along and make up motions.
    
14. #14 I was in a three-year relationship with Alan Traxler, and seeing Curtis Wells behind his back during the last two years. My family moved just before I started third grade, and I’ve never had a boyfriend since.
    
15. #15 That “never had a boyfriend since” gig has been pretty enjoyable. Jesus makes up the difference.
    
16. #16 My cousin, Michelle, and I invented our own game when we were three and two. We got a kick out of walking around in other peoples’ shoes. This adorable “game” was called Shoe Cotz. Neither of our mothers ever determined the origins of this title or the goals of the “game,” but Michelle and I happily played Shoe Cotz for several years without ever knowing, or caring, how and why we came up with it.
    
17. #17 In spite of the psychological advancements in personality typing, I’m still frequently uncertain as to whether I’m really an Extrovert…or simply an Introvert who successfully acts extroverted. (The less-accepted category known as “ambivert” might be a viable option.)
    
18. #18 Blowing bubbles is one of my longstanding favorite recreational activities.
    
19. #19 In my personal opinion, “petunia” is probably the ugliest name you could give something. Then again, petunias are rather ugly flowers.
    
20. #20 If you blow bubbles onto petunias, the soap solution bleaches round spots on the petals, making them even uglier (if that’s possible), to the point that they almost become pretty.
    
21. #21 Warning: Do not try this at home! Moms can become strangely irate when their ugly fuchia petunias develop polka dots.
    
22. #22 I still have the Velveteen Rabbit I received from Santa (impersonated by an uncle) as a small child. The only other stuffed animal I keep close by is a monkey my sister made for me at Build-a-Bear.
    
23. #23 I love city streets at night after a rain. Lights reflect off the wet pavement; everything becomes deep and shining, rather than close and polluted.
    
24. #24 My maternal grandfather has ageless eyes.
    
25. #25 My parents put me to bed one night at eleven months of age, speaking the usual monosyllabic words: “ma,” “da,” etc. The next morning, I pulled myself upright in the crib, stared at them, and announced, “Mommy, Daddy, I’m awake now. Can I have up?” Much to the dismay of many friends, relatives, and hapless bystanders, my verbose outpouring has yet to end.
    
26. #26 One of my favorite quotes comes from Douglas Adams, writer of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: “I love deadlines. I love the sound they make as they go whizzing by.”
    
27. #27 I really stink at meeting deadlines.
    
28. #28 When I finished first grade, we kept a pet turtle for a summer. Dad had rescued it from the roadside, and declared its name should be “Elvis.” Initially we fed Elvis crickets…but Mom was in charge of feeding. That diet regimen didn’t last long.
    
29. #29 In case anyone should happen to wonder, my mom jumps higher and squeals louder than any escaped crickets she may be attempting to recapture.
    
30. #30 I cannot remember why, but my sister and I both asked for fishing poles one Christmas when we were kids. The fun we’ve had with our grandmother and grandfather as a result is beyond my powers of expression. I love to go fishing. Even if I spend an entire day just “drowning worms,” I can return home empty handed, content in the camaraderie I’ve enjoyed.
    
31. #31 Unless you are terrible at math, you’ll notice that I’ve exceeded the 25 number limitation.
    
32. #32 I really stink at staying within number and page limitations.
    
33. #33 I’m pretty terrible at math, too.
    
34. #34 Maybe impacting that windshield did do something after all…