Things About Me

I've been tagged ... twice ... so here are seven-plus things about me ... some that are common knowledge and others that perhaps no one has known about until now.

A few pictures of the "little" me that morphed into the "bigger" me.

1. PERFECTIONISM. From the time I was a child I have always wanted to be perfect. It has become a constant frustration, for the harder I try to be perfect, the more I discover my imperfections. After 50 years I finally discovered where this all began. I had an older sister, Sheryl, who died when I was just 10 months old. We always talked about her being taken because she was too perfect to stay on earth. I remember as a child waking up in the morning and realizing that I was still here, so I knew that I still wasn't perfect enough to return to my Heavenly Father. It was never a burden ... just a constant effort to try to be better!

2. GOING DOWN. I've always had an enormous fear of escalators and stair cases. Going up is just fine, but going down causes my heart to beat fast and panic to set in. It is the same sensation I get on that first big drop on a roller coaster. I have to hold onto a handrail and can't get on an escalator unless someone is in front of me. I get the terrible sensation of F-A-L-L-i-n-g ... until I'm about 1/3 of the way down. After that everything is okay. The narrower the escalator or staircase, the easier it becomes. Once, while shopping at Mervyn's, I tried to get onto a "down" escalator with 4 young children and an armload of packages. I had to be rescued by a Good Samaritan. Another time Clive and I were at the Salt Palace for a Neil Diamond concert. I had the flu and had to rush to the restroom. I spent the remainder of the concert standing at the top because I was too scared to descend the stairs to return to my seat.

3. IRONING. I love to iron. As a child it was my favorite household chore. What you might not know is that back in those ancient days there was no synthetic fabric (polyester became popular when I was in high school), so nothing was wrinkle-free and there were no steam irons or squirt bottles. The freshly washed and dried clothes were placed in a large plastic zippered bag, then they were "sprinkled" with water from a bottle with holes in the lid (similar to a salt shaker, only much larger). The items to be ironed were removed one at a time from the bag while still moist. Needless to say, you had to keep at the task until it was finished or the ironing would become moldy. I still love to iron, though I don't have the need to do it very often.

4. SECRET AMBITION. For the first 20+ years of my life I was too shy, embarrassed, and scared of the world to open my mouth. I even refused to read aloud in reading groups at school. Classmates thought I was stuck-up because I wouldn't talk to them. I was like a Moses with Aarons at every turn, serving as my spokespersons. So, it may seem odd that once I left my introvertedness behind I developed a secret ambition to become a public speaker. It's true! I don't know what I'd talk about since I'm an expert on absolutely nothing. Maybe I just want to prove to the world that I can do it.

5. PIANO PRACTICE. As unusual as it seems, I always loved practicing the piano. I don't remember very many times that my parents ever had to remind me to practice. In fact, they usually had to beg me to get "off" the piano to get my chores done. Many times I would go straight from the dinner table to the piano while the dishes were cleared, waiting for my turn to wash or dry (nope, no dishwasher). More often than not my Dad would end up doing my dishes while I entertained him. Whenever the phone rang, I would run to the piano and try to play perfectly, hoping that the person on the other end would think that Mom had the radio on, listening to some wonderful pianist!

6. LISTS, LISTS, LISTS! I've been a list-maker since childhood. I'm goal-oriented, so making long lists and then checking things off is highly satisfying to me. The more I check-off, the more I've accomplished. I think my lists drive my family crazy. They can be found anywhere about anything. I find it goes hand-in-hand with efficiency and exactness. (Kind of goes back to my perfection fetish, doesn't it?) If my lists get messy, I'll make a new one that is clean and pristine.

7. THE SLEEP OF THE DEAD. I am a deep sleeper. Once I'm out, nothing wakes me up including crying babies, loud music, parties, earthquakes, or thunderstorms. Perhaps that is why most of my babies were sleeping through the night at two weeks. They realized early that appealing to Mom in the middle of the night was futile. The only times I remember waking up was when the Spirit prompted. On those rare occasions I discovered a child not yet home or another similar need. These days, however, potty calls do prompt me from my slumber. Oh, the joys of aging!

8. ALLERGIES. Though I've never been officially tested, I suffer miserably from allergies. I am basically allergic to the outdoors ... grass, weeds, trees, pollen, air, and insects. Yes ... I'm severely allergic to flies. I can tell when one is in the room just by the feel of my skin. I itch ALL the time (my scratching drives me & my family crazy), but I develop a unique itch when flies are around. I hope that if insects go to heaven, they will have a realm all of their own!

9. THINGS THAT BUG ME. I feel that I'm a pretty tolerant person, but there are a few things that drive me bonkers! (1) Tardiness. I detest people who arrive late & meetings that start late (I don't detest the people ... I detest their tardiness). And I hate all the excuses that are given for not being on time. (2) Gum Chewing. If you must chew gum, DON'T do it in my presence. The chomping & cracking to my poor ears are like fingernails on the chalk board. If it persists, I could become violent!

10. FROM FEAR TO FAITH. For the first 25 years of my life I functioned on what I called my fear gears. I was so afraid of failure or not pleasing others that I was prompted toward accomplishment. After that I moved into a new era of motivation and was moved to action by my guilt gears. I felt guilty for not doing enough or being enough for my family, the church, the community, or myself. So I went forward, trying to be everything to everyone. Finally, I've reached a higher plateau and TRY to run my life on faith gears. This is a little harder, but much more rewarding. My gears still slip from time to time, returning to fear and guilt, but overall my faith is what sees me through.

11. THE TRUE ME. Though the outward me is sometimes timid and distant, the inner me is a true romantic. I love happy endings (fairy tales are my favorite), candlelight, and flowers or cards at unexpected times. I like to be showered with hugs and endearments and pampered with foot massages or back rubs. I guess I just love to be loved!

12. LAUGHTER. I love the sound of laughter. When I was growing up I would play the piano and sing I Love to Laugh from Mary Poppins over and over again. My rendition was so goofy that one couldn't help but laugh to hear me. It has always been my wish to die laughing. So, when my time comes, if I'm not in the condition to laugh, please laugh for me!

Well, there's an even dozen things about me. I hope you enjoy them! If anyone happens to read this who hasn't already been tagged ... I tag YOU to tell 7 things about yourself, but let me know so I can read them.