Working Man
July 6, 2007 | permalink
I have accepted Kelsi's open invitation to follow suit (here is her list, over at This Could Take a While) and share eight things that most people don't know about me. I tried to be really good about it, and not include anything that I have talked about at length in this forum or with my offline people. So, without further ado, here it is:
Eight Things (Most) People Don't Know About Me
- I took classes in Mandarin Chinese for a few years, and as a result I can communicate in Mandarin out loud and in writing at about the level of a retarded first-grader*. Which, while that sounds pretty lame, is actually really cool, and I wish I had kept up with it. My pronunciation was always atrocious (I never could master the inflections), but my calligraphy did receive praise. If I ever go to China and immerse myself, I may just communicate through notes and pretend to be mute, to avoid undue embarrassment.
- I have all my parts. I have never had any teeth removed, or my appendix, or my tonsils.
- My pinky toes both twist sort of upward and inward, and sit on top of my feet, instead of next to my other toes. More than one doctor has proposed making a couple of little cuts and lengthening the tendons, to make them lie 'correctly,' but I have always refused. I mean, as far as I am concerned, they are just fine the way they are.
- I was once arrested for Possession of Marijuana. No charges were filed, however, and I was released within a couple of hours.
- One quarter of the weddings that I have been to in my life have been my one or the other of my parents'. Seriously. Two were The Old Man's, and one was my Mother's. Trashy? Maybe. But that's just how we roll...
- I spent most of the fourth year of my life pretending to be Batman. And I was whole-heartedly committed to the endeavor- I had a costume and utility belt, and got into all kinds of mischief while I searched for evil-doers around the house.
- I don't fear anything except my own weakness. Unfortunately I see the list of my weaknesses as long and far-reaching, so that covers a lot of ground.
- I put on a decent show most of the time (at least, I think I do... I recognize that I might be deceiving myself on this point) at having my shit together, but mostly I despair that I will ever find peace in my mind and in my heart. I haven't conceded defeat yet, but I'm not as hopeful as I once was. This probably isn't really a revelation to you, Gentle Readers, but with the people I interact with offline I am not quite so open and forthcoming as I am here.
*Apologies to any Mandarin-speaking retarded first graders who may be reading. I don't mean to offend...
I'd pick eight of you to be 'it' and make a list of your own, but I am not sure that I have that many readers (ha ha ha ha). So I invite any and all of you to give it a go. Let me know if you do, I'd like to make sure to check it out...
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Interesting, I almost included you when I did my list today, but for some reason thought you would be inclined to pass. Look how much I know!
Chinese, eh? Ya gotta meet Mark he is quite good at the caligraphy as well, but his Chinese is extended to well Martial Arts terms for the most part. ;)
i'm so glad you did this. mandarin? that's awesome! for a westerner to even manage to sound like a retarded first grader is pretty amazing.
and as for #8 - as you know - i completely understand. sometimes, though, being able to put on the show is the greatest mark of actually having your shit together. i think.
thank you for playing along!
there are a lot of things most people don't know about me--however, that is most definitely by design. i don't like people knowing too much.
i'll say this: i am afraid of quite a few things. but most of my fears are things i require myself to do/see/feel anyway. otherwise i would become a crazy eccentric person, and not in a good way.