MANY THINGS YOU NOW KNOW ABOUT ME

     There’s this thing going around Facebook where someone gives you a number and then you list things people may not know about you. I got the number seven and without too much thought, here are the seven things I wrote:

1. I am deaf in my left ear and have tinnitus in both. So if I ignore you, I might not have heard you...or I might be ignoring you.

2. I wrote a ballet that was performed at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, CT. I knew nothing about ballet, but what the heck.

3. I paid my own way through college.

4. I chose to go to graduate school at the University of New Hampshire solely because it was about as far away from Texas as I could get. No wonder grad school didn't work out so well.

5. When I was a young girl, I dreamed of someday using my life's savings to go to Rome to see the Coliseum. Little did I know I would end up traveling to Europe many times, and when I went to Rome and saw the Coliseum I almost cried (or I might have actually cried).

6. I've been inside the Kremlin.

7. At one time, I suffered from severe vertigo for 18 months straight and could barely leave the house. Dr. Steven Rauch saved my life.

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     Do any of you who know me really think I could stop at seven? Call it being loquacious. Call it being self-indulgent. Call it what you want, but it got me to thinking about all the indiscriminate things in my life that contribute to who I am. Not the big stuff that we often re-visit, but the inconsequential entities. I enjoyed going over in my mind all these random things about myself. If you are reading this and don’t know me at all, I would be curious to hear what kind of composite you come up with based on this arbitrary list. So here we go: Things you may not know about me:

I grew up with a St. Bernard named Bruno. When he got old, I believed my mother when she said he went away to live on a big farm.

While strolling down a sidewalk on Martha’s Vineyard, Brooke Shields walked up next to me and I instantaneously looked like a troll.

I always choose Raisinets for the Drive-in movies, even though it’s not my favorite candy.

I wrote one of the stories in the book Chicken Soup for the Kids’ Soul. The book is one of my son’s favorites.

I met Tomie dePaola at an authors’ dinner once and he was kind of a dick. My son never liked his books.

Jaws is my favorite movie of all time. It was released on my 9th birthday.

One of my top three favorite concerts was Willie Nelson, even though I’ve never cared for his music.

I rushed the stage during the encore of a James Taylor concert and he touched my hand and now we’re likethis. (Ok, the last part of that isn't true.)

I had to give up alcohol and caffeine. I miss caffeine more.

I never wear lipstick.

I am only two degrees of separation from Oprah. So close and yet so far.

In high school I weighed 109 pounds. And I thought I was fat.

First impressions go a long way with me. If I don’t like you after the first time we meet, it takes me a long time to change my mind.

I agreed to go surfing with a guy just to impress him. I’ve never surfed since. I didn’t have to, because I impressed him... and married him.

An MRI showed that I have a significant section of frontal lobe missing from my brain. Doctors can’t explain it, but my husband says it explains a lot!

People may already know that I brag about my husband and son on a regular basis. What they may not know is it’s because I think everyone should have someone who is sincerely their biggest fan.

I do my best writing late at night but mom duty rarely allows me to stay up to take advantage of it.

I’d much rather go shopping for kitchen things to cook with than for clothes to wear, even though I don’t like to cook.

I probably say a variation of the word Fuck at least once a day.

Only my husband knows my greatest fear. 

And since I love to travel, here is my “Most” list of some of the places I’ve visited:

Most beautiful architecture: Paris, France  

Most fascinating: Moscow, Russia

Most fun: London, England

Most delicious: Florence, Italy

Most like paradise: Maui, Hawaii

Most relaxing: Nantucket, MA

Most perfect sunsets: Long Beach Island, NJ

Most festive at Christmas: New York City, NY

Most gorgeous vistas: Hailey, Idaho

Most jubilant: Disney World, FL

Most want to visit next: Greece 

 
So now do you think you know me?