My friend
Leah has a lot of faith in me…she’s the one who inspired me to start this blog, and she’s one of my faithful readers. Okay, so in truth she’s my only reader. (That I’m aware of, that is! One of her friends traveled from her site to mine once, and that was a great thrill! I loved knowing that someone else was reading my stuff, too!) I’m still a little wary of sharing it with my family. My husband knows about my blog, and one other friend at school has looked at the gingerbread house pictures, but I really haven’t told people about it.
I really DO want to be a more faithful blogger, but for some reason I just can’t get into the swing of it. I’ll keep plugging away, though. Maybe this summer I’ll have more time to get a good habit going. Maybe. Probably not. But I like to think I will.
Anyway, Leah tagged me to do a Birth Month Characteristics meme, whatever the heck that is. So, here it goes!
I’m supposed to copy my birth month characteristics and comment on each of them individually. I’m supposed to say whether or not I agree with them and why. (Which, by the way, feels a little odd…this is one subject that I’m an expert on, but in our culture if you “brag on yourself” too much, people think you are conceited. But on the other hand, if you put yourself down too much, people may believe you. Dilemmas.) After I respond to all of the characteristics, I’ll paste the whole list of birth month characteristics at the end for all of my readers just for your reading pleasure. Because I have nobody to tag. Because I’m lame.
FEBRUARY: I was born February 1, 1978 in Seattle, Washington.
Abstract thoughts – Well, if this doesn’t describe me, I don’t know what does. My mind is a scary place sometimes. When I am talking to someone, my mind is always going a mile a minute. I try to make connections between what we’re talking about and what’s going on in my mind. I’m usually the only one who can make the connections, though, because my thoughts are so abstract. I find that I often have to “back up” and retrace my thought process for the person I’m talking to. And, for an English teacher, I often have a REALLY hard time trying to explain things. I think that qualifies my thoughts as abstract. That’s the story I’m sticking to anyway, because otherwise I would have to seriously consider professional help.
Loves reality and abstract – These two seem to be very different from each other. I don’t know how to combine the two of them, so I guess I’ll address them individually. Loves reality – there could not be a better description for me. I am addicted to reality television. I like artwork that is realistic. I want to look at it and know what it is. I hate art that is too abstract…if I don’t KNOW and understand it, it really bugs the heck out of me. In math, I love algebra, and I HATED calculus. Things have to be concrete and real, or they bug the heck out of me.
Intelligent and clever – This is what I was talking about earlier. If I agree with this and say you bet I’m intelligent and clever, I sound very full of myself. On the other hand, Leah’s the only one who’ll read this (probably), and it’s okay to brag on yourself in front of your friends every once in awhile, so I’m going to go ahead and agree. I like to believe that I’m reasonably intelligent. I think I’m pretty clever, too, because I can make people laugh. I can’t solve puzzles, though, and soduku frustrates the hell out of me, so that may disqualify me from clever status. You be the judge.
Changing personality – Depends on the situation. But I honestly think this is true of almost everyone. We are all a little different in different situations. And, we have learned responses to particular environments. For example, though I am the oldest, I am by far the most mild kid in my family. Both of my sisters have very strong personalities, and they have had a lot more confidence than I have. My sisters used to order my food for me at restaurants because I was too shy to do it myself. Because of this, I think my sisters worried about me as a teacher. I shock the heck out of them when I tell stories about school and how confident / competent I am there. I’m still the quiet, shy one at home, though.
Attractive – I don’t think so, but my husband tells me I’m cute a lot.
Sexy – Hardly.
Temperamental – Oh, boy. This is hard to admit, but it’s definitely true. I can be very moody sometimes. And I have very high expectations of people around me. If they fail to live up to those standards, I can be very cranky. Ask my husband, my mom, my students, anyone. Well, maybe not my students. I am pretty even tempered at school. Maybe I use that all up at school and that’s why I can be so obnoxious at home.
Quiet, shy and humble – Man oh man this is me. I wish I was not shy, but the other two don’t bother me. I am a real people watcher, and I enjoy that. I have moments when I can be loud and crazy, but those are few and far between. I’m intensely awkward and uncomfortable in new social situations, and I hate that about myself. I wish I could be more outgoing and assertive, but at this point, I think I might not grow out of it. I’ll just have to deal with it. As far as humble goes, I agree for the most part. I don’t really like to be the center of attention, but if I’ve worked really hard on something, I do like to get an “atta girl” every once in awhile. But who doesn’t?
Honest and loyal – Definitely. My friend Tracy once told me one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. She said that what she liked best about me was that I am completely genuine. That I am who I am, and there’s no game playing: I’m real. Wasn’t that sweet? On the other hand, I’m honest to a fault, and sometimes that gets me into a bit of trouble. I never want to hurt people, but I am not physically capable of lying. I’m so bad at it, my mom can tell over the phone if I’m telling her the truth. I just have to avoid phone calls if I know she’s going to ask me about something I would be tempted to lie about. I’ve been that way my whole life, and it sucks. Loyal also describes me. When I make relationships, I am extremely loyal. I’ll be your friend through thick and thin.
Determined to reach goals – Depends on the goal. Accomplishing things at work, definitely. Getting my house cleaned, not so much. Finishing a book, definitely. Finishing a blog entry, not so much. Working on a gift for a friend, definitely. Working on my own scrapbook pages, not so much. You get the idea.
Loves freedom / Rebellious when restricted – The older I get the more true this becomes. I’ve always been this way to a degree, but it’s worse now. I do not like to be told what to do. I am a trustworthy person, and I’ve proven myself over and over. I don’t need to be restricted. In fact, if you tell me NOT to do something, even if I hadn’t planned to do it, simply telling me no will make me want to do it just to be spiteful. Whether or not I actually follow through with it is another story.
Loves aggressiveness – I have no idea what this means. I think assertiveness is a positive quality, but aggressiveness is too much. Hmm…we’ll just leave it at that.
Too sensitive and easily hurt – Unfortunately, this is true, too. It’s something I’m trying to work on, but it’s difficult to change. And I tend to hold a grudge, too. I strive to do everything I do well, and when someone criticizes me, it cuts deep. Working with teenagers all day, five days a week, nine months a year for seven years is definitely doing a lot to help me in this area, though! You have to develop a thick skin or they will eat you alive.
Gets angry really easily but does not show it – I think my family can usually tell when I am angry, but for the most part this is true. I don’t show it. Though I don’t know if that’s because I internalize my anger or if it’s because I’m just not good at being angry. In fact, one time my fifth hour class made me extremely angry. They were misbehaving and generally being naughty. When I yelled at them, though, I felt bad and apologized for it. Then I overheard one kid lean over and say to his neighbor, “She’s mad? Really? How can you tell?” I can’t stay angry for very long. I can hold a bit of a grudge, sometimes, though. Well, not really a grudge. I really don’t stay angry. I suppose instead of a grudge, I think I am just wary of getting hurt again. Does that make sense?
Dislikes unnecessary things – True, true, true. I try to be as efficient as possible, and unnecessary items or steps drive me insane. It feels like a waste of time and energy. I try to streamline as much as possible. Unfortunately my logic isn’t necessarily failproof.
Loves making friends but rarely shows it – Rarely shows it?? I suppose this is true. I do love to make friends, though I prefer to have a few good close friends rather than a lot of acquaintances. I do have a tendency to let people seek me out rather than seek them out. I don’t want to impose on people. Does that work for “rarely shows it?”
Daring and stubborn – Not really daring, but definitely stubborn. If I want something done a certain way, unless you can prove to me that there’s a better way to do it, I’ll hold out for what I want.
Ambitious – Yes, and overly so sometimes. I’m getting better about judging what’s realistic for me in different situations, which is good. I still set goals for myself, but I’m now able to set goals that are attainable.
Realizes dreams and hopes – See answer to “Determined to Reach Goals”
Sharp – Sharp as in smart? I think so. See my response to “Intelligent and Clever.” Sharp as in sharp-tongued? I try not to be but sometimes I can be unintentionally. I never set out to hurt someone or insult them, but sometimes it happens.
Loves entertainment and leisure – I love to laugh and have fun. But I also enjoy spending a Saturday just hanging out and reading a book. Movies, sporting events, concerts, plays, coffee with friends, crafting with friends, anything really. I’m pretty easy to entertain.
Romantic on the inside not outside – I am a hopeless romantic, both on the inside and the outside. I love it when my husband does little things for me here and there. I’m allergic to flowers, but he’ll bring them home for me sometimes. He’s good about picking out bouquets that don’t have an overpowering smell. I love to look at them, I just can’t smell them. Two weeks ago when he came home from work, he gave me a really big hug, and it was so out of the blue that it melted my heart.
Superstitious and ludicrous – I don’t think so. I am not really superstitious. I have no idea what they mean by ludicrous?? I sort of hope not, because when I think of ludicrous, I think of something that is ridiculous and obnoxious.
Spendthrift – For the most part this is true. There are times, though, when I go a little crazy. And, in terms of big purchases ($50 or more), my theory is always to buy the best quality you can afford because it will save you money in the long run. For example, when my vacuum cleaner broke and I had to get a new one, I did some research online, and I visited an actual vacuum shop instead of going to Wal-Mart. I ended up with a vacuum that cost $400. I suffered from a bit of sticker shock, but then the owner of the shop told me that his daughter has had one of that brand of vacuum for 17 years. All she does is change the filters and the belts, and gets the motor tuned every few years. If I can have a vacuum for half that time, I still did pretty well. On the other hand, my sister bought a $30 vacuum from Big Lots. She got a heck of a deal, but she’s replaced her vacuum three or four times since I got mine. They break quickly, and they just don’t clean the carpets as well as mine does. At this rate, she’s going to spend twice as much as I did in the long run.
Tries to learn to show emotions – I laughed right out loud when I read this one. It’s totally true, and I blame my dad. The best example I have of this is opening gifts. I envy the people who get excited about presents and laugh out loud, or exclaim “this is EXACTLY what I wanted!!” with a lot of enthusiasm. I’m just like my dad. It doesn’t matter if I open a pair of socks, or a gift I’ve been dying for forever, my reaction is always the same: a smile and a “Thanks! This is really cool.” Though I wish I could be more effusive, I really doubt I’ll ever be the type of girl who dances around the room squealing with joy. I definitely got this trait from my dad. No matter what the gift, his response is, “Thanks, Sweetheart.” Thanks, Dad.
BIRTH MONTH CHARACTERISTICS:
