Things You Probably Don't Know About Me

Preface

Every year I give my students a list of about twenty items entitled "Things You Probably Don't Know About Me". The list covers food preferences, pet peeves, travels, family information, likes and dislikes, a listing of pets past and present, and some of my idiosyncrasies and quirks. It ends with, "In 2004 my father died of colon cancer and it is by far the worst thing that has ever happened to me."  Why do I share that difficult and sad piece of information with teenagers? Because teachers are themselves human beings, ones whose primacy lies in the custodianship of humanity. My goal is to foster mutual respect, and if I can inch developmentally self-absorbed adolescents (and myself) just a bit closer to empathy, the world wins. So I also ask them to provide me with the same information about themselves.

For humanity dear readers, here's what you might not know about me.

1. I choose milk over dark chocolate, every time.
2. I have traveled to 5 continents and 18 countries.
3. I am hopelessly, endlessly, infinitely in love with the ocean. I have to see it, breathe it, bathe in it. Wherever I have been in the world, I have taken comfort in the sight of water. It is home.
4. I had an Aunt Bambi. Yes, named for the movie.
5. I know how to drive a snowmobile, stick shift car or truck, ride a motorcycle or dirt bike, and fix a faulty catalytic converter.
6. I learned to read off of Dixie Riddle Cups.
7. If I could have superpowers they would be these, in this order: invisibility, teleportation, ability to heal. Maybe read minds but only if I could turn it off at will.
8. I have received a few speeding tickets, hence the teleportation.
9. I had a penpal in Quebec in eighth grade. I can't remember her name but I know she was pretty.
10. I hate noses. Not sure anyone can accommodate that preference but thought you should know.
11. I hate nostrils even more. I hold no objection to their function. I just think from a design standpoint, things could have been done in a more aesthetically pleasing way.
12. I can't stand heat and humidity, mostly 'cause they give me diarrhea. TMI?
13. Peach fuzz gives me goosebumps on my arms and legs. I only eat nectarines.
14. I don't drink coffee or alcohol. Ever.
15. I have chronic insomnia, delayed sleep onset, and sleep apnea. Upon waking, my first thought is typically, "No."
16. I was in love for a very long time and when it ended quite badly, my heart was broken. I have not been able to put it back together yet.
17. Horses scare me.
18. I can play chess. My brother taught me how to when I was six.
19. I believe in Atlantis but not God.
20. I've been in a submarine, a windmill, a helicopter riding over a volcano; I've ridden an elephant and a camel; I have swum with dolphins, held a wombat, a joey and a koala, and kissed a kangaroo; I have hand fed kangaroos and lorikeets.
21. From 1996-97 I lived in Gosport, England, 2 1/2 hours southwest of London.
22. I tried to bungee jump in New Zealand from a tower. I froze, burst into tears, and they had to let me down. I do not regret not bungee jumping. I hate falling but love soaring. I did a simulated skydive that very same day instead and LOVED it.
23. I love cake. Chocolate frosting but not chocolate cake, mostly lemon. I don't like chocolate pudding either, but love hot chocolate. No chocolate ice cream.
24. I tip well.
25. I have three small, mostly linear scars from my gall bladder surgery.
26. Contrary to public opinion, I am an introvert, which means being around large numbers of people for significant amounts of time drains me of energy. It takes me days to recover from sustained events like multiday conferences. It means I prefer some quiet, alone time during which I can think, ponder, putter, be creative, write, read, snuggle with cats, and play my flute. One Thanksgiving when I was about twelve, in the midst of the festivities I went out into the driveway where our boat was stored, crawled under the tarp and read for a few hours. (My dad set me up in a giant blanket/sleeping bag combo.) Being an introvert means I feel more comfortable talking for an hour to a group of 900 people than at a cocktail party speaking one on one. I value intimacy highly as something to be cultivated over time, not instantaneously attained. It means I sometimes come off as aloof. But don't let it fool you. I am as passionate as they come.

Your turn.