First, let’s just put it all out on the table and address the elephant in the room: the fact that I haven’t blogged in seven months! Oh, I thought about blogging, jotted down blogging ideas, talked to folks about why I couldn’t blog – but there was no actual blogging. Until today!
Friday, BlogHer sent me a divine email that confirmed that yes indeed it was time to revive the blog with their NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month) challenge. Thing is I have a 2 for 1, double-whammy issue: lack of vulnerability and perfectionism. Just enough buzz kill to make you question everything you type. So BlogHer’s challenge is just the push I needed. The theme this month is SELF – the easiest topic since you’re an expert on yourself. But for me, it’s going to be challenging because of the aforementioned 2 for 1 issue.
Today’s post: Tell us five interesting things about yourself.
Believe it or not I literally had to think for 10 to 15 minutes on a short list of things to share. My husband had to get involved and actually point out some things. I guess one woman’s boring is another man’s interesting.
So this is my short list of interesting in no particular order:
1. I have lupus. Lupus is an auto-immune disease that can affect every part of the body. Unfortunately minorities, especially black women, are two to three more times to be diagnosed with lupus than white women and the disease is more severe. I’m a 31-year-old and my kidneys have been affected – forcing me and my husband to go down the “road less traveled” when it comes to having a family of our own. I was told I needed a kidney transplant in March, but not any time soon since I don’t have to be dialysis. That bit of information was a post in its self. Learn more at lupus.org.
2. I hate loud noises! I have avoided the circus for several years because of my anxiety over loud noises. I’m not sure what kind of sick thrill people get out of waiting for someone to be shot out of a cannon, but I want no part of it. When I was little I hated being around balloons because little kids, especially adolescent boys, seem to be drawn to popping them at random moments. And now as an adult I can’t stand my own doorbell, LOL. So you guessed it – I don’t like Halloween much. Even when I know the kids will come ringing, the doorbell is still jarring to me. But I can’t refuse to be the Halloween Scrooge on my block. How did I get to be so worrisome?
3. I am a minister’s wife. My husband is a seminary student just months away from earning his Master’s in Divinity. I’m excited and anxious about what the future will hold for us, but I know that God has awesome plans for us – especially since I don’t believe I fit the mold of what people would expect a “minister’s wife” to look and act like. But that’s how God works doesn’t he? He breaks down our ideas and helps us to see how the not so obvious can be used. I hope to glorify Him wherever he takes us.
4. I’m a music lover. I shower to music, I work to music. Music is a part of my life period. I have Pandora stations for every mood. Motown and Gospel for lifting my spirits, my Bobby McFerrin radio station for writing and I listen to my electronica/ambient station to get me through the work day.
5. And lastly… I keep things. And by things I mean an attendance award from 1990 – second grade! I also have a 1994 copy of YM and Teen Magazine (do you remember those?!, LMBO), cards and one mint condition Nintendo Duck Hunt gun – but the most revealing are letters from my father. I’m not sure what this says about me, lol.
And there you have it, my short list of interesting.
I keep things too! I always think I will find a use for them, but I never do. OR I manage to convince myself that a battered tee shirt from a college I didn’t even go to is “sentimental” to me.
Brittany,
I so feel you. I found an old middle school track jersey and I was like yeah I’m going to keep this. I can exercise in it, ha! Somehow I feel if I let go of my box of memories that they’ll be lost. Thanks for reading and commenting – means a lot!
Love the come back post. I believe we all go through those moments when we want to blog and we long to blog but then we come up with excuses as the reasons why we cannot blog, and it takes something like ugh well BLOGHER to come along and say HEY why don’t you try that thing that you used to do and used to love. Glad you found your drive and started writing.
But on to your post. I loved that you shared little intimate things about yourself. I will continue to keep you in my prayers regarding lupus. I have a friend who has it and I believe God takes care of his own. I will keep you in my prayers. While you don’t like loud noises I don’t like clowns.. clowns freak me out and I have the most horrible nightmares about them… Ministers wife has no exact description, but you sound like you’re going to break the mold of what we view them as. Kill’em!!
Music is the key to the soul, I am with you. I do everything with music. I am my happiest when music is on and I’m swaying to a tune that speaks to my soul. As far as keeping things, I am right along side you. But I think I’m a hoarder. I keep things and get upset when its time to throw them away. My boyfriend and I have had many a fights about the things that I “NEED” to keep. Just don’t let it get crazy and I think you’ll be ok.
Definitely love your post. Keep at it!
Riley,
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment on my blog post. It means a lot to me. When I thought about writing and even started it just didn’t seem authentic for some reason, so I’d stop. Thanks for your prayers. God is up to something and he never wastes a hurt. Clowns freak me out too, but the noise does something to me, especially when it’s sudden loud noises. You wouldn’t believe the anxiety I get, lol. I guess my goal as a minister’s wife is simply be a disciple, love God and tell people about how He continuously loves me. I think there’s so much undue pressure and smart people see past that all the time. Transparency is key!
Music and I are best friends. Yeah the keeping of things doesn’t get too crazy. I keep it in a little wooden box I’ve had since middle school that serves as some type of time capsule. It’s been a very interesting journey going through all that stuff.
Great way to come back,…sharing yourself! Awaiting more…
Thanks love! Love you.