Reflections

10 Things About Me, Inspired by Grim from February 2014

1. I've been a vegetarian since 1975. When I was in college I decided it was hypocritical to eat meat if I wasn't willing to kill, skin, gut, etc. it myself. The last carnivore dish I had was probably a Whopper, but I never liked meat much anyway so it was no hardship to give it up. My daughters (now in their 20’s) have grown up vegetarian, though one experimented with eating meat briefly.

2. I hate chocolate. Even its smell makes me feel unwell and the taste is vile. It must be a genetic quirk because both my daughters feel the same way. I see it as a perk because there are far too many foods I adore already--even without meat--so if I liked chocolate as much as everyone else seems to I’d probably weigh twice what I do.

3. I’m a third degree black belt, but I prefer modern dance class to beating people up.

4. I studied The Great Books--Plato to Einstein--at St. John’s College, an undergraduate degree that obviously doesn't prepare you for any specific career path but was and has been perfect for me.

5. I learned Transcendental Meditation in the 1970’s, and still practice it today.

6. Until I got  divorced I had the retro-lifestyle of being a full time mother, which I loved. After a few random jobs I stumbled into being a self-employed tutor/”academic coach” for children with various learning challenges--a career I really enjoy.

7. I rarely get sick--it’s been years since I've even had a cold--in spite of the fact that I get exposed to all kinds of nasty bugs by my students, but . . .

8. I've had breast cancer TWICE (I’d rather get colds), 15 years apart. My BookLikes photo is a selfie I took about a year ago, thrilled that after chemo baldness my hair had finally gotten long enough to have a salon haircut. Being bald (also twice) is an interesting experience. It’s very cold, I don’t know how men stand it, but both times as it was growing back my extremely short asymmetrical hair had people thinking I’m way cooler than I actually am.

9. I turn 60 this year. Whoa.

10. It may be related to getting older, but in the last few years I've turned into an avid birdwatcher, and I love them all, small and large. My gateway bird was actually the turkey vultures who roost in my neighborhood. (They have a great life, soaring high in the sky all day and hanging out with their friends all night--when I reincarnate that's what I want to come back as) Now I build large, elaborate brush piles in my backyard woods so little birds can shelter there when it’s cold, and I tramp through swamps with my boyfriend, a pair of binoculars around my neck.