25 Random Things About Me

I was recently tagged on Facebook by a friend to write down "25 random things, facts, habits or goals about me." I lost my first list, trying to figure out how to use the notes feature on Facebook and tag other people. So here's my second try at it:

1. I played flute in high school and off and on through my adult life in community bands.
   My most terrifying moment in my musical career was when a conductor asked me in front of the entire band whether I was flat or sharp. I guessed....correctly.
2. I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a town of 250,000. My family was one of a handful of Asian families in town. One uncle owned a Chinese laundry. Another uncle owned a Chinese restaurant.
3. I've been wearing glasses since I was ten years old. I tried wearing contacts as a teenager but could never get used to the idea of putting something in my eye, intentionally. Photo by striatic.
4. My first crush was in junior high. His name was Jon Newman and he barely knew I existed. I used to ride my bike past his house, thinking that it would somehow make us more connected. 
5. My second crush was in high school. His name was Kevin Erwin and he was known for doing a great impression of Johnny Carson.
6. I once threw up in a canoe, after becoming sea sick.
7. I've been married for 25 years, to my college sweetheart, Chip.
8. In the late '80s, I lived in NJ (exit 137 off the Parkway). The East Coast was not for me but I appreciated the opportunity to find that out.
9. I was 8 months pregnant with my first child in the middle of winter. I enjoyed the extra body heat. For once, I wasn't cold in winter.
10. Ten years ago, I tested as an ESTJ on the Myers-Briggs. A few years ago, I tested as an INTJ.
11. I'm the youngest of four children.
12. I didn't know I was a writer until after I was forty.
13. The number 13 is significant in my life. I was born on the 13th. I was married on the 13th. My dad died on the 13th, when I was 13. Photo by SideLong.  
14. I still keep in touch with my best friend from high school, Stacia.
15. I've been laid off twice. The first time, I had no clue. The second time, they had no clue that I had a clue.
16. I can't stand the texture of rice pudding. I hate oatmeal.
17. If I wasn't a coach and an entrepreneur, I'd make flower arrangements for a living.
18. I worked in a nuclear power plant for three years, in the radiochemistry department. I wore a hard hat and steel-toed shoes to get to my office.
19. I think unions drive the wrong behavior--reducing everyone to the lowest common denominator and squashing any individuality or differences in thinking that can lead to innovation.
20. I can be brutally honest with friends and family. I once told a friend when asked about his new toupee, "You look younger but you don't look any better."
21. After I graduated from college, I went around the world, from East to West, from the US to Asia to Europe and back to the US. 
22. I'm a good project manager. I'm an even better interviewer.
23. I'd like to take an improv class someday. Photo by House of Sims.
24. I can't sew worth a darn. In junior high, I had to make a t-shirt in home economics. It came out too short.
25. I buy most of my clothes at consignment and thrift shops. I have a value that says, "If you can get it for less, it's good." Must be the Chinese genes.

Comments

[Paul Merrill]

Interesting!

Being a minority in Fort Wayne must have had its challenges. I know about being a minority, having lived in Africa for 5 years.

I was tagged on that meme too but haven't found time to do it yet.

[Carol Ross]

Thanks for stopping by, Paul. I've found that with this meme, it makes for an interesting blog post and people who I might not normally think of as writers are wonderfully articulate and descriptive. So think of it as a blog post and have fun with it!

Re: being in the minority, I think it gave me a chance to experience being a boundary crosser at an early age--operating in multiple worlds but never fitting wholly in any one world. Would be interested to hear your experiences of being in the minority in Africa.

[Dora]

That's a very good list. Sometimes, no matter the subject or focus of a blog, a little human touch, knowing a little more about the person(s) behind the writing makes it that much more personal and interesting...

Or maybe we're all just nosy people... ;)

[carolross]

Glad this list gave you some additional insight into me. I feel like I share a lot about myself on the blog but probably take for granted what people do and don't know about my life.

I find most people have interesting lives. I agree that knowing more about someone can enhance the experience of interacting with that person.

Thanks for stopping by, Dora.