I have been blogging for some time now, and have done quite a few variations on the "tell us something about you" prompt. When two different bloggers I like and respect tagged me in the "11 Things" meme, I bit.
The "11 Things" post consists of a) writing 11 things about yourself b) answering 11 questions put to you by the person who tagged you c) writing 11 questions of your own and d) tagging 11 people to answer the questions you wrote in "c." I argue that this is a "44 things" post in the long run but I suppose that is splitting hairs!
The first person to tag me was Teacher Girl. This is her "11 things" post. And this is what I wrote in response to her.
The second person to tag me was Ann of Ann's Running Commentary. I had the incredible good fortune to actually meet Ann in real life this week!
June 14, 2012
Annapolis Harbor
For that reason, it seemed like the perfect week to publish the responses I wrote to her "11 things" post.
Before we get to those 11 (not-so) fascinating facts about me that I promised, here are the rules:
The Rules
You must post these rules.
Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
You have to choose 11 people to tag and link them on the post.
Go to their page and tell them you linked him or her.
No tag backs.
No stuff in the tagging section about "you are tagged if you are reading this." You have to legitimately tag 11 people.
11 Things About Me
1. If my Sag Harbor Jacket and Counterpart pants from Beall's outlet (among other things) wouldn't have made me the extreme outlier, I would have gone to the Tallahassee Drake Concert on February 24.
2. Cool people I have met include former President Jimmy Carter.
3. Great, memorable places I have been include:
a) ziplining over a former poultry farm turned into adventure course in Lula, Georgia
b) Lake Atitlan in Guatemala
c) Onstage as "part of the show" at Xanadu on Broadway
4. The reason my "big" goal for 2012 (as it was in 2011, 2010, and 2009) is to run a 5K in less than 30 minutes is that in 1995, I ran a "novelty" run that was celebrating Florida's sesquicentennial. The run was from somewhere in Central Florida to the Capitol, Tallahassee. Groups of runners had mile segments. I attested that I could run a 10-minute mile when I registered. Whatever the actual timing was, I know that the rest of my group was a lot faster than me and I held up traffic on Highway 41, with law enforcement trailing me, while I slogged in way behind them. That did not feel good.
5. It may be a sign that instead of immediately worrying about whether Wayne Kevin is playing too much MW3, I thought, "where can I fit that into the blog?" when my son called these palm trees with protective barriers against the construction around them "C4 trees" because they look like they have C4 explosive attached to them.
6. My Spanish is probably a little better than I give myself credit for but I have a very long way to go. I would love to do a Spanish immersion program.
7. I lost the county spelling bee when I was in middle school by misspelling the word "yacht" (I spelled it yaght).
8. I am pretty much endlessly amused/mystified by signs and explanations on packaging - misspellings, weird logic, you name it. For example, why does Weight Watchers feel the need to instruct the consumer to return the 2nd tray to the freezer?
9. I love dancing - closest I come these days is blasting the music station on Friday nights coming home from Skate World with my son and him Shazaming the lyrics. Fun but not the same.
10. I had braces .... finally ...... when I was 41. Still glad I did it.
11. I don't talk politics on Twitter.
My responses to Ann's questions:
1. Who was your favorite teacher and why?
Mrs. Clark - she was my 3rd grade teacher, and although the reasons seem impossible to quantify, I think it is simply because she had a good heart.
2. What were your sports of choice when you were younger?
Wow, I hated sports. Mostly because I was bad at every single one of them. I had this sad tennis ball contraption that I would put in the driveway and hit out in to the street - the ball was on an elastic tether so it would come back to me.
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A doctor, a missionary, and a mom.
4. What profession did you ultimately end up in and why?
Administrator for a non profit. It's not going to end here, though.
5. What is the single most important thing you think parents should teach their children?
To think for themselves, not to "go with the flow". To stand up for what is right.
6. When you run, what is the one thing your mind turns to the most often?
Getting out of debt.
7. What is your favorite book and how many times have you read it?
Diary of Anne Frank. Once on paper, once on audio.
8. If you could only pick one movie to watch for the rest of your life what would it be?
I haven't seen it in a while but I loved Beaches. Was obsessed with Top Gun. I'm not sounding very erudite here, am I?
9. Are you more comfortable in the city or the country?
Like 'em both but city.
10. If you had the option of having spending three months of the year in another place, where would you choose?
Manhattan, Manhattan, Manhattan - and here the Teacher Girl 11 things and Ann's 11 things meet their perfect confluence!
11. What is your all time favorite museum to visit?
That's a tough one. I have only been there once but I loved the Cloisters in Upper Manhattan.
My 11 questions.
1. This Daily Good piece discusses selflessness, altruism, and perspective. As an example, it cites Tim Tebow's generosity in inviting people in need to his games in Denver, and the ways in which he extends himself off the field. The post asks, "What is your privilege?" and encourages you to share it with someone who would benefit from it, who wouldn't otherwise have access to it. What is your privilege?
2. This Daily Good piece shares three parables that "give perspective." What parable or story gives you perspective?
3. This Harvard Business Review article talks about the challenge of reinventing yourself, using Margaret Thatcher's career as an example. The author says, "Thatcher's story is ours as well. We might see the need to evolve, but towards what? When the formula is working, how do we determine the shifting point? How do we come to value the polar opposite of everything by which we have defined ourselves? Have you faced a shifting point in your life? Any advice from that time?
4. Another great question from the HBR article referenced above is this: What is your dark side and do you like it?
5. This iJourney.org piece by David W. Hawkins says, "High power, like high voltage, must be handled with respect." Have you seen high power abused? Had it and lost it? Tell me more.
Jennifer at Run for the Boys
Arnebya at What Now and Why
Karen and Gerard at Right Where We Belong
Susan of Susan Fields
Velva of Tomatoes on the Vine
Robin of From the Ashes Yoga
Sara and Abe of Two in Tally
Amy of 365 Thru Amy's Eyes
Liesl of Mama's Log
Jessi of Breathe Easy
J from The Adventures of Boy Wonder
2 comments:
These things are always so interesting.
Found you via Tough Cookie Mommy's Monday Mingle.
I'm at www.turborunner.com
It's cool that someone else has been to Lake Atitlan in Guatemala! Why were you there? I was there for a service trip with my Catholic undergrad.
(This is Dustin, from Tallahassee. I just started blogging sporadically a few months ago!)
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