to remember

image found here.

I would hope that future people will remember me as . . .

... kind

... not judgmental

... accepting

... an intellectual

... a voracious reader

(and advocate of reading)

... well spoken

... well written

... a good (future) mother

... influential

 ... honest

30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for. | thirty things

to misremember

The topic for today's thirty things adventure is one that I think about quite often, actually. I've hinted about it here and here, but never with much detail. I've spoken to a few about it before, and discussed it at length with the best professor on the planet, and she helped me come to this realization: my thoughts and ideas are very radical for my demographic, and that is okay. It doesn't matter if you agree with me or not - my story and my personal archive are different from yours. That makes me who I am; it is continually changing with every experience I have. The same is happening to you, but you are being shaped into you. Me into me.

Now, onto what I think people misunderstand most about me. I could be completely wrong about this, but I get the impression that a lot of the people who I interact with believe that I am very conservative; almost prudish, even. I'm not. Don't believe me? Come over to my house and take a quick gander at my bookshelves. I'm an intellectual who believes that you have to read and experience the unaltered grit of reality to understand those ideals that begin with capital letters. Thanks to Toni Morrison and her novel Beloved for the title of this post. I think the concept accurately describes what is happening to me - the people around me remember me as a child, and are therefore misremembering me. I'm different from the childhood me. I've grown up and developed my own non-prudish, non-conservative ideas about the world.

29. What do you think people misunderstand most about you? | thirty things

the language of love.

love languages. mostly quality time. but also words of affirmation. 

if you spend time with me and i feel like you actually want to, i feel loved. 

if you talk to me truthfully and as an equal, i feel loved.

28. What is your love language? | thirty things

I have spots. Lots of spots.

These pictures don't even do it justice. I have  s o  m a n y  freckles. Grab a pen and get a close up look at any part of my body that sees the sun, and you could play connect the dots for hours. My freckles have always been my favorite. That, and the fact that I have dark hair and blue eyes. Some of my freckles have been around since I was a little kid. Some are newer additions. All are important. They tie me to my freckled family members, but also make me unique; nobody has the same patterns as me. They're also kind of awesome because, let's be honest, who else do you know that has an arrow constellation on their lower leg pointing straight to their Achilles tendon?

27. What is your favorite part of your body and why? | thirty things

popular

Because I have a degree in English, many issues naturally inherent to the literary world are on the forefront of my thoughts. Here's a common idea that I think is total nonsense:

Classic/modern literature is inaccessible to anyone without an English degree.

This is nothing more than a bogus excuse in my book. Sure, there are those who honestly do not like reading, but not all authors are inaccessible. Yes, you might have to use your brain more (read: much more) than if you were reading, say, Twilight, but I promise you won't hurt yourself. Most authors wrote for the common man. And while I know that there are some authors who write novels that are intentionally difficult*, most don't. Pick up some Dostoevsky or some poetry; you'll be surprised at how accessible it is. It's all about the human experience. Go experience it. Find yourself in another world with new people and share in their triumphs and downfalls. It's a wonderful way to live and learn about all of those literary/philosophical ideas that start with capital letters; i.e. Truth with a capital 't'. 

Runners up for this expose:

:: That censorship will actually do/help anything. (It doesn't.) 

:: That all feminists are of the bra-burning 'we hate men' variety. (We're not.)

*Finnegans Wake by James Joyce is a perfect example. Don't even try.

26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong? | thirty things

dinner date

One dinner with Sylvia, please. I'm on a first-name basis with her, and love her more than most. I'd have her take me to her favorite local place in London. I'd love to talk to her and try to get a glimpse into her genius. Just a small inkling. If I could write half as well as she could at age eighteen, well, I wouldn't just be writing a blog that who knows how many people actually see. I'd ask her about her poetry and if she liked the version of the cover of her novel. My guess is probably not - too many colors. Anyway, she's brilliant. Read her if you haven't. The poetry is fantastic. The novel is superb. And this crazy thing happens when you read The Bell Jar; you start to think that you're Esther. Then you put the book down and think, "What was I thinking? That's not me." Then you pick it up again and you're convinced over and over that it's you. Seriously.So.Good. You won't be sorry.

25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat? | thirty things

now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything

No, not really. But ten points and new best friend status to you if you got the reference.

My family dynamic as a child and now as an adult is largely the same. It is a constant in my life. We get along swimmingly. Everyone is there for each other - no hesitations. My grandparents and their children started a legacy in the town I grew up in. Everyone knows us there; if not for our involvement in the community, for the sheer number of us around.

My immediate family is small - just me and a younger brother. But my extended family is large - grandparents, 6 pairs of aunts and uncles, 34 cousins (45 if you count the spouses of those that are married, which I do; 55 if you count their children), and countless more extended family members close by. We all grew up together; literally down the road from each other, and most of us still live in the areas surrounding the place we grew up. There's something to be said about having that support system near by that you know will drop anything to help you if you need it. I don't think I realized how lucky I was/still am to grow up with and live near such an extensive set of cousins until I met people who only had 3, that lived in another city, states away. I wouldn't trade the experience of growing up with so many amazing relatives around me for anything.

24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now. | thirty things

five hobbies of mine

reading/buying books

I have this problem where I continue to buy books even if I haven't finished reading the books I bought on my last jaunt to the bookstore. So much so, that I have an entire bookshelf of 'to be read' books.

music

I've been playing the piano for sixteen years, and the flute for twelve. I love listening to it, playing it, studying it, analyzing it, talking about it. It is so much a part of my soul.

sports

No, not playing them. Had you fooled there for a minute. While I love riding my bike and swimming laps, I'm not the most talented when it comes to hand-eye coordinated athleticism. I love watching sports. More specifically, cycling, anything Olympics related, and college football. And yes, I know the rules and how the plays work.

movies

My family are big movie watchers - we go to the theatres, we watch them at home. I have a pretty decent collection of my own. Apparently it's something in our genes. We.all.love.it. Is there a movie or TV show marathon in your future? Let me know. I'll come party with you.

writing/blogging

Perhaps, most obviously, I enjoy blogging. I like to observe and write down my musings of the world around me. Writing is a great way to figure out what you really think about something.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them. | thirty things

in years to come

In five, ten, and fifteen years, my goals are fairly simple.

I'd like to have started a career of some sort (that I'm still working on figuring out). I want to eventually start a family and live in a house that we own. I'd also like to get a lab puppy. I want to plan and go on family vacations. I want to continue to have a happy marriage.

22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years? | thirty things

superpower

image found here on etsy

yes, this will be framed in my house soon.

If I could choose one superpower, my first instinct would be to go with my early childhood thoughts that flying would be pretty cool - you could go anywhere! That sufficed until Harry Potter came around and I learned about apparating. Really, I'd just like to be a wizard of the "Yer a wizard 'Arry" variety, so I could apparate. With a quick, tight-turning about-face, I could be anywhere in the world. Lunch at a cafe in Paris? No problem. I'll be home for dinner. Day trip to New Zealand? Piece of cake. See the benefits? I know I'm not the only one who not so secretly wishes they could go to Hogwarts.

What superpower do you wish you had?

21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first? | thirty things

rememory

One time my granddaddy told me he was proud that I was a member of his family.

This one time, after being an only child for eight years, my mom birthed my baby brother.

Every Wednesday night my dad took me out for milkshakes and french fries.

20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood. | thirty things

picture found here

I would love to live in England in a little cottage in the country. It's beautiful. It's quaint. And you could take day trips to London.

19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why? | thirty things

thirty things detour

I don't like the question. It's a bit too personal. So instead, I'll offer up my favorite classical composers, bands/genres, and authors for your entertainment pleasure.

Classical Composers

Gustav Mahler

Dmitri Shostakovich

Antonin Dvorak

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Fredric Chopin

Sergei Prokofiev

Bands/Genres

Fleet Foxes

Mumford & Sons

Classic Rock

British Rock

Broadway

Authors:

Toni Morrison

Sylvia Plath

Cormac McCarthy

J.K. Rowling

Fyodor Dostoevsky

18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive? | thirty things

seventeen

:: I wish I was good at singing. That is, I wish I was good at solo singing. It's no secret that I have unrealistic dreams of being on Broadway.

:: I wish that I could compose music mostly because it blows my mind on a daily basis that this and this and this just came out of someone's brain.

:: I wish that I could write good fiction. Or just have a window into a writer's mind for a day or two to see their genius firsthand. 

17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at? | thirty things

- the best things i've done -

graduating from college with my English degree

finding my true self and my true thoughts and ideas about life

(and realizing that though my views are different than most, i should embrace them because they are who i am. thanks, dr. cronin, for that.)

finding that person i wanted to marry, and then getting married

16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments? | thirty things

this is the life

oh, to have the life of a house cat.

15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why? | thirty things

thirteen + fourteen

weaknesses :

. not speaking up as often as i should about issues that are important to me

  that's the only thing i can think of.

strengths :

. playing music

. listening and talking to people

. writing + reading

. remembering people - really. i have this freakish talent for remembering people. if i see your face and put your name with it, you're imprinted in my brain forevermore. 

13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have. 14. Describe 5 strengths you have. | thirty things

a day in the life

:: On days that I work:
7:00 - 8:00 am : wake up, shower, eat breakfast, get ready
varying times : go to work
lunch happens in here somewhere
3:00 - 5:00 pm : come home


:: On days that I don't work:
7:00 - 8:00 am : wake up, shower, eat breakfast
9:00 - 11:00 am : lounge and check up on email, Blogger, etc.
11:00 - varying times : lunch, housework, errands, plan meals
5:00 - 6:00 : Husband comes home


:: Things that happen every day:
cook dinner
hang out with Husband
watch tv or read books
possibly go on a date
11:00 - 12:00 : bed time

It's a pretty normal life, but it's ours. And I love it.

12. Describe a typical day in your current life. | thirty things

pet peeves

people who smack their food

people who are late

saying you'll do something, and not doing it

taking your shoes off in public*

closed mindedness

invading my personal space

poor grammar

when people mistake me for a teenager

people with dirty/grimy hands

complaining about something you have no control over

11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have. | thirty things

*excluding public places where it's normal to be barefoot. e.g. the pool, the beach, the park, etc.

how embarrassing.

I had to think for a long time about any embarrassing stories involving myself. I guess that I'm not one to get embarrassed easily. That, or I've just repressed every embarrassing thing that's ever happened to me. There's a story my husband likes to tell about the time our cats knocked our curtains down onto our faces while we were asleep and I woke up screaming. I don't like it when he tells that story. Or there's the time at BYU when I fell down the last two stairs in between the Wilk and the library as I was walking back to my apartment. Or the time that I tripped going up the stairs (yes, up.) in the Wilk to get to the main floor one morning. Apparently I have issues with stairs; but in my defense, BYU is the land of awkwardly spaced stairs. Nothing terribly embarrassing. Let's keep it that way.

10. Describe your most embarrassing moment. | thirty things