Who I Am

The boring details:

I am the youngest of six children, two boys and four girls. My brothers and sisters will tell you that because of that I'm really spoiled, but I think that I deserved all the extra attention. : ) Actually, there are things that make it harder to be the youngest but we all have to deal with our own trials, right?

My brothers are ten and thirteen years older than me so living with a boy was practically a new experience for me when I got married.

We had a couple of dogs while I was growing up and a number of cats that had seemingly endless litters of kittens. We lived in the country in a new subdivision. While it wasn't farm life, it was country life and I loved it.

My family moved into the house that I was raised in when I was six months old and I lived there until I graduated from high school. My mom still lives in that house.

Those are the basic details of who I am, but I think that there is much more to what makes a person an individual - their habits, opinions, likes and dislikes.

This is me.

I have a soft spot for animals and I am usually sadder at the death of an animal than I am at the death of a human.

I have little tolerance for people who demand respect for something over which they have no control. Being born beautiful is nice, but why be so proud? It's not like it's an achievement. If you command (or demand) respect in the kitchen because you are an excellent cook, that is certainly understandable. But I have met men and women who place themselves above their peers simply because of their gender, color, physical stature, etc. I'd rather be coyote ugly and a really nice person than a bombshell with the personality of a rock.

I have a pretty big personal bubble. I don't particularly care for uninvited physical contact. In fact, I have a compulsion that makes me "wipe off" the unexpected touch of a stranger to my bare skin. My kids know not to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention. It makes me crazy!

I love wearing new socks and underwear.

I love order and symmetry. I like to look at nicely organized shelves and racks in stores. I like to watch neat, even rows of crops pass by me when I drive.

I like to read literature written for older children. Sometimes books written for adults are booo-ring. I can't read the "classics"; Shakespeare, Dickens, Twain, anything written in "old-timey" language.

If I had backstage passes to a concert I wouldn't use them for two reasons: any person, no matter how famous, is still just a person. In addition, I would feel really lame and uncomfortable to be caught fawning over someone in public. The author of Fablehaven recently came to our town for a book signing which my kids and I and half of our town attended. It was funny to hear the girls behind us in line talk about how, if he shook their hands, they would never wash them again. While the author was very nice and I enjoy reading his books, he was still just a regular guy.

I am really content to be home most of the time. I don't like getting out of my comfort zone. When a social event comes up I will usually look for any excuse not to go, even though I know that I will enjoy myself once I'm there.

I believe in God, and I believe that He is a personal, intimate God who knows me individually.

I love humor. If I can make a story more entertaining with humor I will. Why be bland when you can be funny? I love finding humor in unexpected places.

I would rather drink water than any other drink. Sometimes I crave Coke or milk but water is always welcome.

I eat M&Ms with my popcorn. Not on the side, but together. I put popcorn in my mouth and then I put M&Ms in my mouth and then I chew. Mmmm!

I am always embarrassed of the person I used to be, even as recently as last week. I always look back at my actions and think "I was so dumb!"

From 7th to 9th grade, I was teased incessantly by a group of about six or seven girls, some of whom had claimed to be my best friends. It was one of the hardest experiences of my life and while I would never ever willingly go through it again, I am so grateful that I had that experience because I am much more sensitive to the feelings of other people because of it. I don't think that I would be nearly as compassionate as I am today without the "help" of those girls.

I learn and teach visually. I am much better suited to express myself when I have pencil and paper in hand.

I operate under the delusion that my looks have changed so drastically since I was in school that people I haven't seen in fifteen years don't recognize me. While I realize that this is probably not the case, I still don't greet long-lost acquaintances in public because I'm afraid they won't know me.

When they were younger I didn't care for my nieces and nephews so much. I loved them, but they drove me nuts. Now that they are getting into their teens I love being around them. I love my children but I look forward to the time that we can relate on a different level.

I would rather be comfortable than attractive in my clothes. All but one of the pairs of shoes I own are black. I rarely wear makeup, maybe two or three times a year. I shampoo and condition my hair, towel-dry it, run a pick through it and that's it. I hope to look at least clean and presentable, but I don't care enough to spend more than a few minutes on grooming.

I am the opposite of a pack rat. I don't understand the point having lots of stuff. I have one pair of church shoes for summer, one for winter, a pair of sandals, a pair of sneakers and that's about it. I can't understand having multiple items that perform the same function. I often butt heads with my husband and oldest son because they are pack rats.

I believe that if you constantly have to remind people how great you are, you probably aren't all that great.