After my sister Nancy posted five things that most people don’t know about her, I found myself thinking of what things about me most people don’t know. It was harder than I expected. I’ve always considered myself a somewhat private person, but having this journal has apparently changed that. I can think of lots of things that local friends or neighbors might not know about me, but in here I talk about nearly everything. I’ve already mentioned my bout with radiation therapy and my trip to Africa. I’ve talked over and over about my writing and my aspirations for the future. I decided to take up the challenge and find at least five things that I’ve not mentioned in my journal before.
Five Things Many People Don’t Know About Me.
1. I sometimes forget to feed the kids. They don’t go hungry, they either forage for themselves or pester me until I fix food for them. Life would go smoother around here if I would have scheduled mealtimes where food is ready. Sometimes I manage to do it, but lately food has been catch-as-can. I tell myself that I’m teaching my kids to be self sufficient. It makes me feel a little better until I notice that they’re self sufficiently subsisting on chips and cheese and ramen noodles. I do make breakfast every morning. That counts for something right?
2. I stole books from my junior high library. I love books. I’ve always loved books. When I was in junior high I would check out stacks of books and then forget to turn them back in. This lead to my report cards being held until I returned all the books. It was annoying and embarrassing, so I solved the problem by taking books without checking them out. Then I decided to just keep them because I really really wanted to own those books. A year or two later I repented and returned the books. I also confessed to all the affected parties and made a painfully large monetary donation to the library as a self-imposed restitution. The librarian, who is still my friend to this day, forgave me. So it all worked out alright in the end.
3. I have a temper. I am not the perfect mother or human being. I get mad. When I get mad I have been known to yell and throw things and slam doors. Once I was so mad I kicked a hole in the wall. When I calmed down I patched the hole. But I applied the patch poorly and everyone who isn’t blind can tell that the wall is patched. This patched portion is, of course, in the front room. Because of the location, I cannot hide it behind furniture. So far no one has ever asked about the patch, but it is there, a monument to my loss of temper.
4. I only had one boyfriend prior to meeting Howard and that relationship only lasted two weeks. The relationship was also only two months prior to meeting Howard. I was 19 at the time. I was totally inexperienced in relationship management. There was a big experience gap because Howard had not been as strangely cautious as I was. This means Howard is the only man I’ve ever been in love with. I’m fairly content with this because I’ve heard that break-ups and broken hearts are not so fun.
5. I’ve read the unabridged version of Les Miserables (1462 pages ) from beginning to end. I have also read War and Peace, Anna Karennina, The Canterbury Tales, Wuthering Heights, everything Jane Austen wrote, Middlemarch, Vanity Fair, and piles of other literature. None of this reading was for an assignment. I just wanted to read them. It is fascinating to read these slower paced stories. I love getting the feel for the culture that is described in the book and finding the hidden assumptions of the author that tell me what kind of world she lived in. I’m not always in the mood for this older stuff, but when I am I love it.
I have to admit I’m kind of impressed by #4. It took me five years and two broken relationships for me to even figure out what I wanted out of a relationship.
As for #3, I seem to have inherited my dad’s temper. He did the same thing as you, once, except it was his fist, not his foot, that went through our front area wall. I haven’t damaged anything (other than a few layers of skin on my knuckles) myself so far, but it’s probably going to happen some day. Better that than taking it out on people, though!
I have to admit I’m kind of impressed by #4. It took me five years and two broken relationships for me to even figure out what I wanted out of a relationship.
As for #3, I seem to have inherited my dad’s temper. He did the same thing as you, once, except it was his fist, not his foot, that went through our front area wall. I haven’t damaged anything (other than a few layers of skin on my knuckles) myself so far, but it’s probably going to happen some day. Better that than taking it out on people, though!
#4 is not a result of me knowing what I wanted. It is a result of me fleeing in blind panic from anything that resembled a romantic relationship. Maybe that was smart because as soon as I stopped fleeing I was irrevocably caught. 😉
#4 is not a result of me knowing what I wanted. It is a result of me fleeing in blind panic from anything that resembled a romantic relationship. Maybe that was smart because as soon as I stopped fleeing I was irrevocably caught. 😉
#4 is eerily similar to what happened to me. I had only one very short relationship a few months prior to meeting my husband. A lot of people think I’m weird, but our relationship is very good at nearly six years into our marriage (to the point people either don’t believe it or want to emulate it), and I’m content having never experienced things like broken hearts.
#4 is eerily similar to what happened to me. I had only one very short relationship a few months prior to meeting my husband. A lot of people think I’m weird, but our relationship is very good at nearly six years into our marriage (to the point people either don’t believe it or want to emulate it), and I’m content having never experienced things like broken hearts.
The more I read of you, the more I find we have in common.
Methinks tomorrow will be entertaining at least….
The more I read of you, the more I find we have in common.
Methinks tomorrow will be entertaining at least….
Funny. I’ve had that exact same thought while lurking on your journal. See you tomorrow at 4!
Funny. I’ve had that exact same thought while lurking on your journal. See you tomorrow at 4!
I wasn’t surprised by 1 & 5. I’ve been at your house when you said “Ack! I forgot to feed the kids!” At which point you’d ascertain whether they’d fed themselves and feed the remaining hungry. I also know you are an avid reader and devour books like children devour candy.
I think it’s cool that Howard has been your one and only love. I was amazingly blessed that I only had to date (meaning multiple social encounters with) one guy to find Mr. Right. I truly believe it was divine intervention for me. I was 24 and had gone on less than 10 dates in my life. showed up and being with him just felt right. I’m glad to know I’m not such an anomaly.
I wasn’t surprised by 1 & 5. I’ve been at your house when you said “Ack! I forgot to feed the kids!” At which point you’d ascertain whether they’d fed themselves and feed the remaining hungry. I also know you are an avid reader and devour books like children devour candy.
I think it’s cool that Howard has been your one and only love. I was amazingly blessed that I only had to date (meaning multiple social encounters with) one guy to find Mr. Right. I truly believe it was divine intervention for me. I was 24 and had gone on less than 10 dates in my life. showed up and being with him just felt right. I’m glad to know I’m not such an anomaly.
I also usually think of myself as an open book, but I realized that things that my friends in real life would know–stuff that’s on my private journal, stuff that I’m open about in person–I don’t announce professionally. So I revealed one thing this morning (last night? I can’t remember), which probably people did already know.
(I’ve friended you through my private journal, just so you know, because I have so many I’m reading on my public journal and you post mostly on my private friends’ journals. I won’t give you the name here in public, but just wanted to let you know that if you see someone resembling me around on a certain someone else’s journal comments, it’s me. Don’t you love cryptic?)
I also usually think of myself as an open book, but I realized that things that my friends in real life would know–stuff that’s on my private journal, stuff that I’m open about in person–I don’t announce professionally. So I revealed one thing this morning (last night? I can’t remember), which probably people did already know.
(I’ve friended you through my private journal, just so you know, because I have so many I’m reading on my public journal and you post mostly on my private friends’ journals. I won’t give you the name here in public, but just wanted to let you know that if you see someone resembling me around on a certain someone else’s journal comments, it’s me. Don’t you love cryptic?)
It is funny how we all share different pieces of ourselves with different people. My local neighbors and friends know all my kids names and ages and the intricated details of events which are only referred to as Incidents online. But almost none of those local friends and neighbors are aware that I write stories.
It is funny how we all share different pieces of ourselves with different people. My local neighbors and friends know all my kids names and ages and the intricated details of events which are only referred to as Incidents online. But almost none of those local friends and neighbors are aware that I write stories.
Ross never had a girlfriend before me and I am the first girl he had ever kissed. That makes me the older (by 8 months 🙂 and more experienced woman. I had boyfriends since grade school and was engaged twice in college. (Sandra you ARE lucky to not have broken hearts)
The funny thing is that the two guys I was engaged to both LOOKED like Ross. So, I know I was definitely and perhaps desperately looking for him. 🙂
I’m going to teach my kids to be friends with everyone and that they don’t have to date until after they get back from missions. 🙂 All that teen angst and drama and all those broken hearts just aren’t necessary.
Ross never had a girlfriend before me and I am the first girl he had ever kissed. That makes me the older (by 8 months 🙂 and more experienced woman. I had boyfriends since grade school and was engaged twice in college. (Sandra you ARE lucky to not have broken hearts)
The funny thing is that the two guys I was engaged to both LOOKED like Ross. So, I know I was definitely and perhaps desperately looking for him. 🙂
I’m going to teach my kids to be friends with everyone and that they don’t have to date until after they get back from missions. 🙂 All that teen angst and drama and all those broken hearts just aren’t necessary.