Recently, I got a great idea for myself after reading another person's blog. On his blog he listed "37 Things About Myself." What a great idea. Many of us want to know one another better. What better way than to list a stream of consciousness thought of facts we, and only we know about ourselves. Below are the first forty that come to mind about myself. There are many more facts of course but this is a start.
1. I descend from English stock. My paternal line has been in North America for 9 generations (1692) and my maternal line 5 generations (1850’s).
2. I am the oldest of 3 boys. I am also the shortest at 6 ‘3 ½” and lightest (by 100 lbs plus) than my younger brothers.
3. My father was born in Appalachia (hillbilly.) His family moved to Pennsylvania as tenant farm workers in 1929.
4. My Mother is from Pennsylvania Quaker heritage.
5. My Father used to call me “half a hillbilly.” I like to think I have the sex appeal of a hillbilly and the sensibility of a Quaker.
6. My Father died in 2000, my Mother is 84 and living with my divorced brother.
7. My other brother is a care pastor at a large Christian fundamentalist church in Greenville, South Carolina.
8. I am an agnostic until I get in real trouble, then I pray.
9. I am a reformed spendaholic.
10. I used to be a staunch Republican but George W. Bush cured me of that fantasy. I am now a liberal Democrat.
11. I am gay and have been since my earliest memory (4 years old) when I didn’t even know what “gay” meant. I knew I was different and not to let anyone else know.
12. I didn’t officially “come out” until I was 21 years old (late debut.)
13. One year later I met my life partner. We have now been together 44 years without benefit of a legal marriage document.
14. My best friends since grade school (three of them) are still my best friends. We are in contact almost daily. They are straight, married and have families.
15. I love cats. However, I haven’t had a cat since I was 14 years old. My partner hates cats.
16. My Mother forced me to take typing in high school (when it was not cool for a young guy to take typing) because it would be something I “could always use.” As usual, Mother was right. I have typed every day since and never regretted it.
17. I cannot lie. Not bragging, I just have a genetic inability to lie. That weakness has caused me a lifetime of problems as other less scrupulous people have taken advantage of that weakness.
18. One of the wisest decisions I ever made in my life was to join the Army right out of high school. It matured me and continues to pay dividends to this day.
19. One of my dumbest decisions was to invest in the stock market. It is a fool’s game. Nothing but a giant casino. My last investment was in January of this year. Right before I passed a kidney stone. January was not a good month for me this year.
20. My father was a hunter. None of his sons liked to hunt.
21. My father loved to garden. I love to garden.
22. My father had natural mechanical ability. I do not. Both of my brothers do. They hate to garden.
23. I and my youngest brother have irreparable Philadelphia accents. My other brother talks normal.
24. I don’t wear shoes in my house and always take off my shoes when I enter someone else’s house (unless it’s a dump.)
25. I cannot sleep in the same bed all night with anyone else. Probably because I grew up having to share the same bed with my two brothers then with an older uncle.
26. Growing up I thought I had the biggest nose in the world. Probably because my father always told me so. As I got older my face grew into proportion to my nose and the size of my nose ceased to be a problem.
27. I can’t throw a football or whistle (probably because of my gay gene.)
28. I love to walk. Not run, walk. I figured out long ago that running ruined your joints with all that banging.
29. I am a political junkie. I amaze myself at how I can see through all the smoke and mirrors and see the real issue. I knew from the git go that the war in Iraq was bogus. I have seen through every other political lie of both parties.
30. I delight in schadenfreude. I truly enjoy seeing self absorbed, selfish, evil people get their comeuppance. I especially enjoy seeing former teen idols evolve into ugly old men (or women as is the case with Paul McCartney.)
31. I hate the fact that animals and children are abused and killed on a daily basis in this world.
32. I used to remove road kill from the road until someone told me a car was going to hit me one day while I was doing this.
33. Certain people make me ill when I see them. For instance, Bill Gates, George W. Bush, Joe Scarborough (the list is very long, unfortunately.)
34. Other people make me feel that there is hope in this world. For instance, anyone involved in lessening the cruelty to animals and children. Also, those people who volunteer to clean up roadsides.
35. For breakfast I have two bowls of Corn Chex and one banana every day.
36. I don’t drink enough water, which is why I have kidney stones.
37. I drink Turkey Hill decaffeinated orange iced tea everyday with my meals.
38. My only Christmas activity is sending Christmas cards to my friends and relatives. I eschew all other Christmas activity unless someone wants to invite me to a Christmas dinner, which I will gladly accept.
39. I love taking pictures. I have over 25,000 images.
40. I am obsessed with my family genealogy. It is my lifetime passion. My goal is to publish a book on my family genealogy. Then my life will be complete.
41. I am terminally naive. This has not caused me as much of a problem as my inability to lie. Some think it's cute and take pity on me.
42. I don't eat fried foods anymore.
43. I do not eat fish or any other sea food. A tuna finsh sandwich is tolerable but I haven't eaten one in years.
44. I do not eat baby animals; i.e., lamb, veal, or baby birds. A trait that I inherited from my father who witnessed the slaughter of these baby animals.
45. I love Italian food but rarely eat it.
46. My main protein dish is boneless chicken breast but I get upset when I see the "chicken trucks" headed for the "processing plants" which are in abundance here in southern Delaware.
47. Occasionally I will eat a hamburger, but only if it is char grilled, well done.
48. I love 70's disco dance music (the real club mix disco, not the crap they play on the satellite radio today.)
49. I can't dance. I'm not coordinated. I love to dance though.
50. I've never "been" with a woman (nor do I intend to.)
This is just the first 50 "Facts About Myself." More will follow in future blog postings. Thanks to the Doctor From Phoenix who gave me the idea.
