43 random things about me

My stage career has included:

The big, bad-ass billy goat in “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” in 1st grade;

Mr. McGregor in a 3rd grade production of “Peter Rabbit;”

Jesus multiple times in college and shortly thereafter (due to the long hair and beard I wore in those days).

These days, I’ve pretty much retired from the stage.

... because I have a very hard time throwing things away. If there is any use left in an item or the potential for it being repaired in some way I have a problem putting it in a rubbish bin. There is something sickening to me about thinking of things sitting in landfills for eternity. This has turned me into a bit of an anti-consumer. It has also made me a bit of a packrat due to the time dedication it takes to get rid of things properly. I’ve got several items that need to go to e-waste recycling. I list things repeatedly on craigslist to get rid of them, and of course people shopping on CL have NO follow through.

BUT the good thing is that I seriously consider each of my purchases now. That thought process has made me a bit of an anti-consumer. If I don’t have a home or place of an item I don’t get it. I cant tell you the number of times I’ve gotten laughed at for having “old” technology items. I’ve friends that are SHOCKED when I tell them I dont have an HDTV. (ha! ridiculous) I also do my best to buy used item. I’d rather give something a second life then promote the manufacturing of more.

I guess that makes me a horrible capitalist. Go ahead and blame me for not helping with my 1/300,000,000 part of the economic recovery… I think I can take it.

I have my grandmother to thank for making me a walker. She would often walk, not for exercise, not for transportation, necessarily—just for the sheer pleasure of walking. There was a reclaimed stripmine near her home, and out of the blue she’d say, “Let’s walk up there and look things over,” and off we’d go. In the winter, if we were snowed out of school, she’d walk from her house to mine, and we’d both walk back.

Now, long-legged and an avid hiker, people who know me well know me as a walker. Those who DON’T walk give each other warnings about me: “Don’t walk with him,” I’ve heard them say. “I did that once and he wore me out.”

My favorite word in the english language is HOPE. I have it as a tatoo, it’s one of the words in my e-mail address, and I even wrote a poem about it. OBSESS MUCH! Well anyway, here’s the poem:

Hope is something that you feel,
Like love and trust, it’s just as real.

Hope is that thing that keeps us going,
It helps us to learn and keep on growing.

Because no matter what happens today,
There’s always tomorrow, hope shows the way.

Love can be broken, and trust can be lost,
But hope must stay with you no matter the cost.

Keep it safe, and keep it alive.
Without hope we die inside.

So, the next time you are filled with despair,
And your heart is heavy with burdens to bear.
Look to the heavens, search deep in your soul,
Know that your future is yours to control.

We all have hope in us; it’s honest and true,
Just look to the future, and find the dream within you.

My kids call me a ‘SUN SEEKING SERPENT’. Because when it’s warm outside and I don’t have to work, you can find me soaking up the rays. I find it so relaxing. I know it’s not healthy, but it’s what I enjoy doing, so it’s what I do.

I like to take pictures in black & white. I think it creates a more honest picture. Like you’re seeing what’s really there. Also, they come out so clean and perfect, they’re just pretty.

I write poetry. It’s not great poetry mind you, maybe not even good, but I enjoy it. It’s been a while since I wrote my last poem, however I’m working on it! Most of it is online at poetrysoup.com.

I love margaritas! They are so tasty, and a great treat while sitting in the sun by the pool. I’m still looking for the perfect recipe.

I hate bees. I know how important they are, and that they make flowers beautiful, and delicious honey, but I just hate them. They totally freak me out, the wasps are the worst. They fly around all lazy and like they’re drunk. YUCK, YUCK, YUCK!!!!!!!!

Alright, here’s a confession: in spite of all the bad stuff about cigarettes…in spite of the fact that we’ve all progressed beyond the Camel and Marlboro ads…in spite of how we now live in a culture in which fitness is chic…I have to acknowledge that, to me, a woman smoking a cigarette can be kind of hot. Granted, it has to be the right woman in the right situation, but still.