Another Meme

Another one for the blogging world, Angella has this on her blog and since she tagged you and I have been known to be called, "Hey you" in my day I took the challenge to heart. I like doing these sorts of things, it’s fun to ponder one’s own personality traits. I am pretty much an open book most of the time so I enjoy sharing – whether you want to read it or not!

1. I have an irrational fear of spiders. I actually subconsciously think they could kill me or my family, or at least seriously injure or maim us. It all stems from a childhood fear that I have nurtured all these years. When I was a kid, I used to think there was a tarantula at the bottom of my bed and if I just kept my feet up close to my body, fetal position style, it couldn’t get me because it moved so slow, ‘cause they do move slow ya know. I still can’t look at them in the pet store or on TV – who would want THAT for a pet. I would never get any sleep. And those reality shows that involve eating and being covered in gross slimy bugs and spiders…. EWWWWW! Turn it off! I will yell while covering my eyes.

Now, we have nothing at all poisonous in the way of spiders here but that doesn’t stop me from being irrationally scared of even our harmless variety. A couple of years ago there was a gargantuan spider, well by Canadian standards anyway, in our back yard and I made Jay kill it. Just because it was a spider and we had to get it before it got us. How’s that for justice?

I know. But if you think that’s silly I can go on. I also have an even more irrational fear of bees. AND I haven’t actually ever been stung. Although one did crawl into my mouth once. I am not kidding. Not at all. Of course when you have your mouth wide open screaming bloody murder, it’s bound to crawl in. I think it was just curious at the reaction it was getting from this being that was 800 times its size so it decided to taunt me. Bees do that you know. Everyone thinks they are so innocent what with their honey making and all. Ha! It’s a good cover. They may have you fooled but I know better.

My mom loves to make fun of me. She thinks I am going to pass on this fear to the boys. But she isn’t afraid of them and I am, so I think there are few holes in her theory :-P Sorry Mom!

I will be terrified of them till the day I die or get stung, whichever comes first. I am going for the former – almost 33 years of success so far!

2. On the topic of fears, I am also terrified of public speaking. So much so that I only spoke about 10 words at our wedding reception and only because our MC’s told a story incorrectly to make me speak. So I clarified that ever so eloquently (that was sarcasm at it’s finest) and then thought I’d let Jay do the talking. Unfortunately after 5 years together he still did not understand the deepness of this fear and thanked everyone on his side then passed the mike to me. With a blank look on my face (I was TOTALLY unprepared), I quickly thanked my bridesmaids and passed it back. I still feel bad about that because I missed like a 100 other people that equally had my gratitude.

I think that’s why I love blogging so much. I am much better at typing out stories than telling them verbally. Typing gives you much more time to think about what you are going to say than talking. I do have to get over this fear eventually, I know, but for now I am content to stay out of the spotlight where everyone isn’t looking at me and judging me. Because of course that what people do when you are talking to them in a large group, ya know.

3. I chew on the inside of my lips when I am stressed. I do it until it bleeds sometimes and then it gets all puffy and swollen and I finally stop. I have been doing it since I can remember but hey it’s better than a lot of other habits I could have picked up over the years. Apparently, judging by the comments Angella got, there are many of us out there. Who knew?!

4. I also twist my hair. Incessantly. I am doing it right now and have been all day. My hair is lookin’ fine tonight as a result let me tell you. When I asked Jay what my quirks are this is the first one that he mentioned. I already had it on my list, it’s kind of part of who I am.

I do it when I am working at my computer and when I am watching TV. I have also been doing this since I can remember. I do it until my left arm hurts. It’s hard work keeping it up there and in motion. My head also gets sore from the pulling, oh the constant pulling, especially when I knot it up but good and have to pull out a chunk. Good thing I have ample. My hairdresser thinks I am nuts and she’s probably on to something there.

It also happens to be one of the few traits my brother and I share. And the ironic thing is that it drives me NUTS when he does it. Still to this day and we are 32 and 35 years old. Some things never change. I still secretly think he did that and lots of other things on purpose just to get my goat. What are siblings for if not to drive their siblings crazy? My kids are clearly taking this to heart as irritating the snot out of one another seems to be their favourite pastime of late . Good times, good times.

5. As I mentioned above, I am pretty much an open book. I will share just about anything with you, ANYTHING. I have made more than a few people uncomfortable with my ability to provide too much information (TMI).

I was raised that lying and falsehoods are BAD. I don't deal well with people who lie to me and have confronted a few people in my day about such things.

I don't lie. I actually can't. I will laugh but you will already know by the look on my face that I am full of it. I never even try to lie for real. For fun or to pull someone's leg yes, but within 10 seconds, the jig is up.

I also don't do fake. I can't hide my feelings, I pretty much wear them on my face. I don't know how to supress them. I pretty much get it out of my system as soon as humanly possible and then I move on. It's worked so far so I am sticking with it.

If you have read this incredibly long toot of my own horn, so to speak, give me a quirk or two of your own. I am quirky like that, comments feed me ego.