Finally – the last of the 25. Thinking these things up sure hasn’t been a picnic.
19. I hated every single moment of junior high school. For 3 years I was tortured by my ‘friends’ and classmates and was made fun of for everything imaginable. That horribly shy, socially awkward kid? Yeah that would have been me.
High school was a bit better but only because there were so many in the school, it was easier to get lost in the crowd. One of the torturer/friends from junior high and high school wrote in my yearbook, “I hope you make many friends that are nicer to you.”
And yes, I have, thank you.
20. I never liked playing with dolls. I did not own a Barbie doll. I might have when I was very young but after that, it was just too tame. I’d much rather be outside running around, playing ball with the boys.
Unfortunately, once I hit around 11 or 12, my sports playing days were over. The boys enforced a “no girls allowed” rule and that was the end of it.
21. I don’t wear make-up. I will wear it if I’m going to a wedding or something but otherwise, nothing. It’s not because I have anything against it. It just seems way too much trouble & I’m lazy. Plus I just don’t like how it feels. Then there’s the part where you can’t touch your eyes or you’ll end up looking like a raccoon and with all my allergies, that is an issue.
22. I don’t lie & I hate being lied to. Not only do I not lie, I can’t. The kids found this out ages ago & use it to their advantage. It’s not that I don’t attempt to lie if they were to ask me something I don’t want to answer. It’s just that they can tell I am lying. My face is a dead giveaway. Guess I better never go for Professional Poker Player as a career choice.
23. I have 4 children, not 2. I lost 2 boys in 1992. I’ve found that any time I mention that, it’s usually met with dead silence. It’s not like I bring it up all the time or that it just creeps into everyday conversation but it is what it is.
And I’ll tell ya something else. After enduring 4 months apiece of pregnancy and 3 months apiece of morning sickness, I’m darn well going to acknowledge those other 2 boys & I don’t much care if it makes people uncomfortable.
24. When we were growing up, I couldn’t stand my sister. Oddly enough, it turns out that she’s my closest friend now that we’re adults. (It’s okay for me to admit this here where she can see it. She knows this.)
The reason I didn’t like her is because she was the good daughter. She was how my father wanted me to be; a little girly girl. I was the daughter who always got in trouble, who mouthed off all the time.
25. I am a conservative, magisterium following Catholic. (I may have just made up a phrase.) That doesn’t mean I’m a saint. I can go through the list of 7 deadly sins and find a whole bunch of things that are my pitfalls.
And now back to your regularly scheduled blog stories.
I’m glad you wrote #23, Monk! I always struggle with how I should answer the “how many children do you have” question. I’m sorry for your losses.
Yeah and now I have the same issue if someone asks how many siblings I have. If I could just say 3 & leave it at that, it would be one thing but then they start asking where they live, etc. “Oh, 1 lives in this town, one lives in that town and one lives in St. Charles cemetery.” Actually that might be fun to say if it’s someone who’s just being nosy & annoying and you need to shut them up and get rid of them.
I’ve really, really enjoyed your “25 Randoms” Monk! Lots of them, I already knew; lots of them, I didn’t have a clue. Ewww…that was bad; ignore.
I agree completely about your 4 children, and your siblings. People can react any way they want to, but they are part of your life just as surely as anyone else. I know what you mean, though about the silence. As you will know, another way to be met with that is to say “cancer.” That’s another big conversation stopper. I always said, people act like it’s catchy; that they might get it by talking about it.
I just loved your randoms; they’re SO you. Except that I was really bugged by your junior high/high school “friends.” I’ve never understood how anybody can treat another person that way, even in junior high. I wish we would have gone to junior high/high school together because you could have been friends with us. I had a really nice, varied bunch of friends who were not mean and who did not exclude anybody. Not that we were never little shits, because we were…but mostly stuff like being loud and laughing uncontrollably. The good part about this whole thing is that you’ve gone on to be successful, have a beautiful family , and have friends who cherish you. Take that, junior high schoolers!
Kim, The friends that I have now more than make up for what I went through back then. Another funny thing. Well not ha ha funny, but a few months back, I saw some kids about that age – 2 bullying one kid. I glared at them & was about to walk over. Must have scared them because the bullies let the other kid go. You know, that part is what I don’t get. There were adults around in the cafeteria, in the schoolyard. Not once did anyone ever step in. That I find even more disgusting.
And yeah, that “C” word – back in the day, people wouldn’t even mention it. Sorta funny when you think about it. I’m glad I’m not like that. I am so much better than everyone else. Just simply wonderful. Bahahaha!