Saturday, July 18, 2009

7 Traits Meme

My best friend since I was four and she was three (Jen), asked me to participate in a seven traits meme. First of all, I have to say that I'm stumbling around with this assignment. I'm allowing myself to list the first seven things that come to mind, instead of brooding over a list of 20 and narrowing it down to the ones that sound the most interesting or that I can write about well. Here goes:

1. Sweet - Everyone calls me that or sweetheart. I suppose when people say it, they mean it as a compliment, but I've always been annoyed by the label. I think people mistake sweet for considerate and I would much rather be considerate. Sweet has such a negative connotation.. like I'm gullible, or naive. Another word that erks me similarly is the word average.

2. Diplomatically Honest - I will tell you the truth.. in the most polite way. I can turn a negative assessment into something hopeful. If, for example, I read a terribly written paper, I might tell the student, "I see what you're trying to do here and I think you're on the right track, but be careful with your sentence structure. You might construe a different meaning than what you intended - Label your pronouns. :)" Or "Interesting idea, but you haven't proven it. More examples from the text would help solidify your assertion." I do this in real life, outside of the classroom, too. Just so you know, if I'm ever mean to you rather than being diplomatic, then you have been beyond cruel to me.

3. Passionate - I have a bleeding heart, one that's quick to love and one that wants to be loved in return. Poetry is essential for the passionate.

4. Worried - This is a side-kick of passion, I think. The family joke growing up was that my mom and brother were outside doing something fun, and my dad and I were inside worrying about it. Bill Bryson says that worrying is part of our genetic construct. That makes me feel a little better, seeing as I was worried about why I worry so much.

5. Inquisitive - There is so much I want to know and learn and read about. I might be a great researcher, except that if I see something shiny out of the corner of my eye, I run for it. I'm surprisingly scatterbrained for someone so curious, and I hate to sit still. Sometimes sleep even seems like a waste of time.

6. Determined - I won the "I'd Rather Do It Myself" award in fourth grade from Mrs. Burciaga with the gnarled, arthritic fingers, pristinely (and ironically) manicured. Her hand was like a claw that she would rest on your shoulder - a perfectly sculpted, shimmering, French tipped claw- capable of sending chill bumps down your spine and triggering your "fight or flight" instinct. (See? Shiny!) Anyway, I will reach my goals..

7. Creative - Some might say "dreamer" or "artistic." I think creative is more like it. I won another award in grade school - the "Just Say No to Drugs Essay Contest." How did I win? My essay was about my sadly misguided cousin who turned to drugs- crack and heroin, and gin- which, of course, led to her withdrawal from our family and the church (breaking her own mother's generous heart and Jesus' too), lower grades (duh), and bulimia (a painful twist). I painted so moving a picture, using a prolonged hospital stay to show the dire consequences of drug use - a real tear jerker - that I won the contest. The story was made up. Completely. Maybe instead of creative, the trait should read "manipulative". But there it is. I got a red t-shirt out of it that I wore to the Barbara Bush Just Say No To Drugs balloon letting ceremony, the balloons full of little pieces of papers with the misleading inscription, "Drug free is the choice for me!" and signed by every student in the school.

OK. I'm tired. But that was fun, too! Thanks, Jen! I think I'm supposed to tag people now, but I sometimes feel like tagging is akin to forwarding a mass chain email that includes a picture of a kitten and/in a bucket, an eagle (with or without stars and stripes behind him) looking confidently over the purple mountains majesty, and a Bible verse directly from the book of 1st Salipaticus. (Fight or flight! FIGHT.OR.FLIGHT!)

SO, I'll leave it to you if you'd like to do this meme. I would love to read about you!

7 comments:

Amy said...

Great idea. I would say I am a worry wort also. You can add talented to your list. I mean your writing skills are great. Have a great day..

Jen said...

Thanks for playing along!! I think you were right on with these seven traits!! Since you're so diplomatic maybe you should consider going into administration! I love you and loved reading this!! Again thanks for playing it made my day!!

(I kinda new you would not want me to tag you but I knew you would do a great job with it!! Amy is right you DO have a gift of writing!!)

Melissa B. said...

You're a person I'd like to meet. A Considerate, Diplomatically Honest, Passionate, Inquisitive, Determined, Creative Worrier. Although, on second thought, I'd say sometimes-Worrier. Great meme!

Kathy B! said...

I'm glad you played along. And I like the thought that you put into your responses.

And I hate sweet, too!! So laking in imagination when the world is chock-full of more worthy descriptors.

ann ominous said...

i love # 7! you're a brilliant writer. if you visit my site, please don't pay attention to my horrid lack of grammar or punctuation...*blushes* i know better, just don't wanna.

Night Owl Mama said...

cool meme those were some neat question

Raylene said...

In number 6 are you musing about someone we know???? I need not say more...shame on me!!! Congrats on the recognition award!!!! You are damn good!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

7 Traits Meme

My best friend since I was four and she was three (Jen), asked me to participate in a seven traits meme. First of all, I have to say that I'm stumbling around with this assignment. I'm allowing myself to list the first seven things that come to mind, instead of brooding over a list of 20 and narrowing it down to the ones that sound the most interesting or that I can write about well. Here goes:

1. Sweet - Everyone calls me that or sweetheart. I suppose when people say it, they mean it as a compliment, but I've always been annoyed by the label. I think people mistake sweet for considerate and I would much rather be considerate. Sweet has such a negative connotation.. like I'm gullible, or naive. Another word that erks me similarly is the word average.

2. Diplomatically Honest - I will tell you the truth.. in the most polite way. I can turn a negative assessment into something hopeful. If, for example, I read a terribly written paper, I might tell the student, "I see what you're trying to do here and I think you're on the right track, but be careful with your sentence structure. You might construe a different meaning than what you intended - Label your pronouns. :)" Or "Interesting idea, but you haven't proven it. More examples from the text would help solidify your assertion." I do this in real life, outside of the classroom, too. Just so you know, if I'm ever mean to you rather than being diplomatic, then you have been beyond cruel to me.

3. Passionate - I have a bleeding heart, one that's quick to love and one that wants to be loved in return. Poetry is essential for the passionate.

4. Worried - This is a side-kick of passion, I think. The family joke growing up was that my mom and brother were outside doing something fun, and my dad and I were inside worrying about it. Bill Bryson says that worrying is part of our genetic construct. That makes me feel a little better, seeing as I was worried about why I worry so much.

5. Inquisitive - There is so much I want to know and learn and read about. I might be a great researcher, except that if I see something shiny out of the corner of my eye, I run for it. I'm surprisingly scatterbrained for someone so curious, and I hate to sit still. Sometimes sleep even seems like a waste of time.

6. Determined - I won the "I'd Rather Do It Myself" award in fourth grade from Mrs. Burciaga with the gnarled, arthritic fingers, pristinely (and ironically) manicured. Her hand was like a claw that she would rest on your shoulder - a perfectly sculpted, shimmering, French tipped claw- capable of sending chill bumps down your spine and triggering your "fight or flight" instinct. (See? Shiny!) Anyway, I will reach my goals..

7. Creative - Some might say "dreamer" or "artistic." I think creative is more like it. I won another award in grade school - the "Just Say No to Drugs Essay Contest." How did I win? My essay was about my sadly misguided cousin who turned to drugs- crack and heroin, and gin- which, of course, led to her withdrawal from our family and the church (breaking her own mother's generous heart and Jesus' too), lower grades (duh), and bulimia (a painful twist). I painted so moving a picture, using a prolonged hospital stay to show the dire consequences of drug use - a real tear jerker - that I won the contest. The story was made up. Completely. Maybe instead of creative, the trait should read "manipulative". But there it is. I got a red t-shirt out of it that I wore to the Barbara Bush Just Say No To Drugs balloon letting ceremony, the balloons full of little pieces of papers with the misleading inscription, "Drug free is the choice for me!" and signed by every student in the school.

OK. I'm tired. But that was fun, too! Thanks, Jen! I think I'm supposed to tag people now, but I sometimes feel like tagging is akin to forwarding a mass chain email that includes a picture of a kitten and/in a bucket, an eagle (with or without stars and stripes behind him) looking confidently over the purple mountains majesty, and a Bible verse directly from the book of 1st Salipaticus. (Fight or flight! FIGHT.OR.FLIGHT!)

SO, I'll leave it to you if you'd like to do this meme. I would love to read about you!

7 comments:

Amy said...

Great idea. I would say I am a worry wort also. You can add talented to your list. I mean your writing skills are great. Have a great day..

Jen said...

Thanks for playing along!! I think you were right on with these seven traits!! Since you're so diplomatic maybe you should consider going into administration! I love you and loved reading this!! Again thanks for playing it made my day!!

(I kinda new you would not want me to tag you but I knew you would do a great job with it!! Amy is right you DO have a gift of writing!!)

Melissa B. said...

You're a person I'd like to meet. A Considerate, Diplomatically Honest, Passionate, Inquisitive, Determined, Creative Worrier. Although, on second thought, I'd say sometimes-Worrier. Great meme!

Kathy B! said...

I'm glad you played along. And I like the thought that you put into your responses.

And I hate sweet, too!! So laking in imagination when the world is chock-full of more worthy descriptors.

ann ominous said...

i love # 7! you're a brilliant writer. if you visit my site, please don't pay attention to my horrid lack of grammar or punctuation...*blushes* i know better, just don't wanna.

Night Owl Mama said...

cool meme those were some neat question

Raylene said...

In number 6 are you musing about someone we know???? I need not say more...shame on me!!! Congrats on the recognition award!!!! You are damn good!