Ten Facts

Ten interesting facts about yourself:

Hmmm. Another list. I notice that a lot of online articles I see (and sometimes actually read) are produced in the form of a list. That’s an obnoxious trend, and is one more nail in the coffin of literature, but I’ll do my best to put my dislike of lists aside and answer this anyway. I refuse to number it though.

I have a mild phobia about talking on the phone, especially when it comes to making cold calls. I wouldn’t have a cell phone if it weren’t for the fact that they keep being given to me. My first one was given to me by Jen, who I was then married to, because she was tired of not being able to get hold of me. It was her old one (strangely enough, a few weeks ago, and around a decade after Jen gave me the phone, I got a text from her sister, thinking it was still her number - she probably still had it stored in her phone somewhere). That phone eventually became so decrepit that Jeanine got me an iPhone, so I find myself more or less keeping up with technology even though I have no real interest in doing so.

On a similar note, I’m suspicious of new technology until I’ve worked out the human cost of owning it. This is probably due to my interest in sociology (which I have a BA degree in) and my general Luddite tendencies. I’d probably be better off not owning a computer, but now I’m hooked. It also bothers me when I become dependent on technology that I can’t fix (let alone make), were it to break. I just watched a video yesterday in which a man built a whole house using stone-age technology, and it was fascinating. That said, making things like that isn’t a skill I possess. I seem to think better either abstractly or in two dimensions.

Sometimes I get the feeling that I think I’m smarter than I really am, maybe because most of my knowledge and intelligence doesn’t appear to be of the practical variety.

I’m a hardcore introvert, although my profession involves working with groups of people. Jeanine is the same way.

I feel that I often take the path of least resistance, but so far, this has worked out pretty well for me. I have a good life. That said, I tend to be very accepting of whatever my current circumstances are, a tendency that is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I’m always relatively happy, but on the other hand, I’m not often inspired to improve my life (with occasional exceptions that seem almost cyclical or seasonal in nature).

My favorite season is Autumn. I like transitions in general, and Autumn is a transitional time. I love wind, rain, and fog, and Autumn is full of promise when it comes to winter weather. Winters, especially lately, have been disappointing in this regard. My interest in transitions is due to the fact that I’ve always been a fan of possibilities and anticipation, and Autumn scratches both of these itches.

The qualities I most admire in others are ones that I don’t feel I possess myself: bravery, self-discipline, humbleness, selflessness, etc.

The qualities I least admire in others are the ones most opposite to the ones I think I possess.

I highly value intelligence. Plus, if your spelling is atrocious, my first impression of you won't be favorable.

I’m reserved around other people, unless I really like them and/or feel comfortable around them, in which case I’m kind of a goofball.