Hey hey friends, it’s good to see you again 😀
I’m glad I didn’t scare you off with my profession of love for the sweet & savory oats, and it’s great to hear that some of you want to try them yourselves! It’s not always easy to admit to being an oddball, but what can I do? It’s who I am. I’ve wasted too many years of my life feeling ashamed of who I was, and trying to mold myself into the kind of person that I thought the world wanted me to be, and for what? It certainly didn’t make me any happier… If anything, those were probably the unhappiest years of my life…
Maybe it comes with getting older [and wiser], or maybe it’s because recovery taught me so much about who I was and I learned that I’m not so bad after all, but I’ve become so much more comfortable with myself over the past few years – to the point where I’m actually proud of all of my quirks and oddities.
So on that note, and because the beautiful Jenny and Chelsey tagged me with this baby…
… which requires me to share 7 facts about myself, I thought I’d share some of what I think are the most important things that make me who I am. Hope ya enjoy 😀
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1. I’m extremely introverted… I was never the popular girl at school who had tonnes of friends and went to all the coolest parties. I was quiet, I generally kept to myself, and I had a small group of close friends. This used to bug me a lot. I would spend hours agonizing over why I couldn’t be part of the in-crowd, why I couldn’t be friends with everybody. And it wasn’t until many years after graduating high school that I finally realized… because it wasn’t what I really wanted – it just wasn’t who I was. Sure, that type of lifestyle looks appealing, but it wasn’t for me. I enjoy the company of others, but I’m also perfectly content when the only company I have is myself. In fact, although I do love seeing my friends, I also need a lot of quiet time to myself where I can just escape from the world.
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2. I’m a big kid at heart… I remember being a little kid and not being able to wait until I grew up so that I could finally do “big people” things. Well, I grew up and came to discover that “big people” things really aren’t my cup of tea. Sure, it’s not all bad, but I miss the carefree days of my childhood where I had no worries and my biggest responsibility was to make sure that I brushed my teeth before bed. Can’t bring those days back, but I can remind myself of them with Disney movies and teddies.
… and I often do.
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3. My mom and dad are my best friends… Although we didn’t always get along so well, and I gave them endless amounts of grief during my rebellious teenage years, I’ve come to appreciate them so much now that I’m older [and, once again, wiser…]. They stood by me through everything, and were always there with their love and support no matter how crazy things I got. I truly believe that they were a huge part of the reason that I was able to recover from my ED, which was actually one of the things that made us even closer. Ok, I’ve gotta stop now… I’m getting all choked up over here.
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4. I’m a closet video gamer… You probably wouldn’t be able to tell from looking at me (it actually surprises most people), but I’ve been into video games since I was a tiny little thing. I grew up playing Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt on the original Nintendo, and it’s pretty much progressed from there. Super Nintendo. N64. X-Box. Wii. I mostly stuck to the Nintendo brand because I may or may not have had a slight crush on Link, from Legend of Zelda. God I sound like a geek. These days, I don’t play many console games anymore because most of my gaming time is spent living in the World of Warcraft. Yes. It sucked me in 6? 7? years ago, and has yet to spit me out…
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And now to [hopefully] redeem some of my coolness factor…
5. I’m incredibly good around cars… Not only can I change the oil and fix a flat, but I’ve actually rebuilt the engine on my car twice. I blame my dad for this one. He loves cars, and I have a sneaking suspicion that he originally wanted a son that he could pass that love on to, but when God blessed him with a baby girl, he decided to work with what he had and pass that love onto me instead. And it worked – the oily/greasy smells of a garage are just as appealing to me as the smell of cookies in the oven. I adore cars, I love to drive, and I have an insatiable need for speed. I did a lot of [legal] drag racing and [not-so-legal] street racing in my late teens and early twenties, and although I don’t race anymore, my shiny red sports car is still a source of endless enjoyment.
No, that’s not my shiny red sports car… It’s the one I wish I had. A Saleen S7.
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6. I love food… and I’m constantly eating it. No joke. I absolutely gotta, hafta, must eat something more substantial every few hours, and I often randomly nibble on things in between those times. Sometimes I wonder if people think I do anything besides eat… The staff at the grocery stores that I visit pretty much know me by name, and it’s not uncommon for people that know me to give me comments like “You’re eating again. Didn’t you just have something a little while ago?” It used to make me want to throw my food at them, but now? Now I just give them a big old smile and say “Yeah, you jealous?”.
7. Words are my life… Reading. Writing. Nothing gives me more peace or joy than transferring the world around me to the blank pages of a book. My dream job has always been to be a writer, and although I’ve toyed with the idea countless times, self-doubt inevitably gets in my way. What if I can’t hack it? What if I can’t support myself? What if no one wants to hear what I have to say? What if, what if, what if… But who knows. My self-confidence is constantly growing, so you may one day see a book from me yet 😉 Until then, I’ll keep adding to my growing library…
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And those are some of the things that make me, me 😀 I think one of the most important things that I’ve learned is to accept myself for who I am, and rock what I got, instead of trying to force myself to be someone that I’m not. It’s okay if I don’t live the kind of life that’s so highly glamorized by society – I live life my way, by doing what works for me. I think that everyone would be a lot happier if they redirected some of the energy that they devote to trying to make themselves fit some “perfect” mold, and used it to try and learn how to accept themselves for who they are instead.
Just my two cents.
Do we share anything in common?
Or, are we completely opposite in some things?
I just love you and this entire post!!! :)))
I agreed with a number of them… I’m not really an introvert (or I’ve never considered myself one, though the past year or so I’ve become more introverted and I dont’ actually like it because I think it’s mostly out of anxiety about people judging me, but that’s a major tangent haha) but I’m SO all over disney & reading/writing & am intensely jealous of yoru bookshelf. My goal in life is to have a library like the one in beauty & the beast 😛 (rather, to marry someone who can buy me said library… he needn’t be rich, just has to have enough to build me a library an then we can live liek peasants for all I care 😛 hahah).
& yes, please write a book. 🙂 I love your writing! I think writing as a profession would stress me out too much, I get WAY too anxious when I write for school/etc and I don’t think I’m stand-out enough to do much with it but I’m content with that as I have other interests (aka I’m a psych nerd, it’s a problem)
<3
n
!!! The library scene from Beauty and the Beast ALWAYS pops into my head when I think of the kind of library I’d love to have 😀
I was the same in highschool. Though i don’t think I’m nearly as shy, it’s still hard to make friends and start relationships because of my shyness. It only really bothers me when I see things that make extroversion and being wild and outspoken the “norm”. You know? Other then those times, I’m happy with myself and who I am.
We actually have quite a bit in common. I’m an extreme introvert, too. I could happily spend the majority of the day by myself. My counselor has told me a lot that introverts need “time alone to deal with people”, and extroverts need “time with people to deal with being alone.” So true! Especially during the school year, I find that wake up very early just so I can have a few quiet moments to myself before the day begins. Now that its summer (even though I usually have the entire first half of the day to myself!) I find that I’m staying up way late to enjoy that time to myself! No one really understands this… I’ve never had the joy of meeting another introvert… my family keeps telling me I’m not a “normal” teenage girl. That kinda gets me down sometimes… but spending all my time with friends just isn’t me!
You ARE normal, girl. There’s no rule that says you have to enjoy spending time with people. If you feel happy and content by yourself, then what else matters? Don’t listen to people who tell you that you have to be someone that you’re not… just do what works for you.
super cute post! Glad I read this. i just did my own random facts about me post recently, and I had so much fun doing it! Very impressed with the car skills and fascinated by the video game world, other than those two things we share a lot in common 🙂 Cars actually intimidate me. maybe I should get over that??? 😉
Going into this post, I figured we’d probably have a lot in common…and I was right! I used to be REALLY shy in school except with my little group of friends…not in the “popular crowd” yet not a dork…but completely content!
When I had cable, I used to watch the Disney channel all the time (as embarrassing as it is to say, I could never flip the channel if Hannah Montana was on! Lol) And I used to LOVE Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt (although I would totally cheat at DH and put the end of the gun to the TV screen!)
My dad has always been the same way with me…wether it’s cars or home improvement, he’s always teaching me “manly stuff” as I like to call it and I love it! It’s so funny the looks you get when, as a girl, you say, yeah, I change my own oil! Some guys look at you like you just took your shirt off in front of them. Wait…in they’re mind, that probably IS what’s happening! 😉
I spy a Twilight fan!! Have you seen the trailer for Breaking Dawn? It looks awesome!
Lol I cheated that way in DH too 😉 It was the only way to beat the later levels when the ducks would be going insane! And I’m actually kind of hesitant to tell guys that I’m good around cars. Some of the reactions I’ve gotten have been… interesting.
We have a lot in common. Especially 1, 2 and 7. Also, I still play video games, although I’ve never tried WOW, and I may not be a car expert but I would make quite a good plumber 😀
This is such a wonderful post per usual 🙂 You consistently write about thoughts in my head, like this post! I have difficulties accepting certain things about me, such as being an introvert and being best friends with my parents, but they are both true… and there is nothing wrong with this! I like to be alone and maybe have a few friends, but that’s pretty much it.
I am totally with you on the introversion – I am incredibly introverted, and just had a few close friends at school too. I desperately wanted to be part of the popular crowd though – but looking back, I’m glad I wasn’t. I wouldn’t have got awesome exam grades or be who I am today if I’d been with them.
Annnd my mum = my best friend! My ED definitely brought us closer together, and I love her to pieces 🙂
Wise words, from the wisest girl I know 🙂
Im like you, love my alone-time (I love time with close ones too of course) and I dont mind enjoying a Saturday night alone from time to time. I LOVE Disney classics and have so many. I often see one when I want to relax and just cheer myself up. Or make myself sad- some of them are SO sad! I love foods, but there are some humps in they way 😛 But Im getting there, and I really DO love to eat, and I never eat anything I dont like.
But I dont know anything about cars. I have my license, but I really dont know how I got it. I suck, and no one want to sit in the car when I drive (true story :P).
And I used to be addicted to Super Mario- good times! I miss it 🙂
Hiiiiiii I come to you from Clean Eating Chelsey..and because I see you over at funfoodandfreeweights a lot 🙂
I have I believe 3 full notebook pages of “to-reads”? I am glad I don’t make much money anymore. Before the recession when I was up around $3k/month I spent probably about $5,000 on books every year. Uh yeah. And now they are all where our jackets are supposed to go in our front hall closet… :-X
I would have never thought you’d be a gamer. haha 🙂
I am an avid reader as well, I have a huge list of ‘too reads.’ & Disney is the bomb.
oh ps. I cam across this –>http://www.tastespotting.com/features/tag/oatmeal-project/page/2
and immediately thought of you.
While I’m not introverted per say, I’m not extroverted either. It used to bug me a lot and it still does a little, to be honest. Society has taught us that introverts are lame and extroverts are cool, instead of acknowledging that both introversion and extraversion are normal variants of behavior. It’s just the way you are and there is not much you can do about it!
I absolutely love reading, but not writing. I mean, I was very good at it in school, but it’s not my passion or something like that. You definitely seem to have a way with words, so I have no doubt that you could achieve your dream if you decided to persue it. 😉
Loved reading this! I can relate to you on pretty much all your facts, especially #’s 3 and 6. It kills me to see people who don’t have great relationships with their parents or families because when you really think about it, family is who will always be there for you (or at least what I would hope).
I hope to see a book by you in the future! Don’t let self doubt get in your way and just go for it! 🙂
I love learning more about the people behind the blogs like this 🙂
& I’m a closet kid… snuggling up in a duvet & sticking on a fave kids’ movie is a great thing to do when it comes to indulging in some “me”-time.
& YES to being a closet gamer. I have NEVER told anyone that I sign into my bro’s XBOX Live account & get into a game of COD. I get nasty on that thing though… gamer-rage.
Agree with the parents thing. I get emotional thinking about it all, but I really don’t know where I’d be without their guidance when things get tough. An eating disorder is an awful thing, but mygoddd, does it make you realise who/what’s important! x
Lol I’ve seen some pretty crazy things happen when people get angry playing COD. I think that game can bring out the worst in people… same with CS.