I've been tagged by the sweet and wonderful Kyria (who also just happens to be my niece) to share 10 things about myself that my readers may not know. So, without further ado, let's get to it.
- Growing up, I moved a lot. I went to 7 schools between kindergarten and 12th grade. I've lived in 18 different places, all -- with the exception of California -- on the east coast of the US. Moving so much gave me a better world-view, but has meant that I haven't kept any life-long friends or found out how things turned out for people I cared about.
- As a child I had a very active fantasy life with many imaginary friends, even though I had a perfectly healthy number of real-life friends. Sometimes, I got the two worlds confused.
- My sisters and I played with dolls well past the age when it was socially acceptable to do so. As we got older, we borrowed my brother's GI Joe and introduced him to Barbie. And then there was some serious doll-partying going on.
- I am very well read, but am not well traveled. Outside of the places listed above, I've spent a night in St. Louis (long story) and traveled to Canada. And that's about it. I long for, yearn, for, lust for a year of traveling around the world.
- I have several series of recurring dreams that I've had off and on for most of my life. One series I call the "going back" series -- back to college to finish a semester; back to New York to find my old friends; back to an old job. I also have a series of water dreams that are better than any movie I've ever seen.
- I have a little bit of an addiction to certain reality TV shows. Anything to do with fashion (Project Runway, America's Next Top Model), cooking (Top Chef), or addiction (Intervention, Celebrity Rehab) is right up my alley. If it makes it any better, my second TV addiction is Masterpiece Theatre, so that elevates the taste level, doesn't it?
- I've been in the library field since I was 20 years old, and a professional librarian since I was 25 (heavens -- that was half my life ago, now!) Before that I was a waitress, a barmaid, a chambermaid, a housecleaner, and a home health aid. My favorite client was a man in his 50s who had had a stroke and lived alone. He never opened the Christmas and birthday presents his family sent him because he didn't like to open them by himself. So every time I went there to clean or shop for him, we would sit down and have a cup of tea and a cigarette together (I'm a reformed smoker), and he'd open a present. It turns out that most of them -- probably 18 out of 20 presents -- were blue button-down oxford cloth shirts. Sigh.
- Even though I've been an off-and-on vegetarian, I like beef jerky. A lot.
- I've over-indulged in most vices and also quit most of them.
- I've been fired twice and been on probation once. Don't worry -- it was a long time ago, I learned my lesson, and my crime has been stricken from my record.
Sara (read her response here)
Lori (read her response in the comments, below)
Lindy (read part 1 of her response here and part 2 here)
Erin (read her response here)
Also read Dan's 10 things in the comments below.
Thanks everyone for playing along! Much love!
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1. I got married when I was just twenty years old. That lasted 12 years.
ReplyDelete2. I sit when I pee. Hey, it’s easier.
3. I borrowed a friend’s Mercedes and drove 120 MPH.
4. I became an Eagle Scout when I was barely 14 years old: one of the youngest ever.
5. I’ve owned 25 cars in my driving career, including a ’66 chevy pick-up, Porsche, audi, datsun, VW bug and square back, Plymouth, Dodge, Volvo, Chevy, Ford, and Jeep. The best was a 1968 Plymouth Fury III.
6. I do not watch television.
7. I believe that the key to life is relationships.
8. I gave up a very successful and lucrative consulting carreer to be a woodworker, and I love every minute.
9. I wish that I could play the piano. I started lessons a couple of years ago, but just couldn’t put in the required time. Maybe someday…
10. My favorite job was as the facility engineer at the Naval War College in Newport, RI, where I was responsible for numerous 19th century granite buildings, just below the Newport Bridge. In 1997 I sat in a third floor window of one of hose buildings and experienced Hurricane Gloria roaring up Narragansett Bay.
Lucy, this is amazing. I've never seen such beautiful exposition on something like this. This will now be the first - and only - tell-us-ten-things THING that I will answer. So let's see...
ReplyDelete1) Up until I was 11 years old, I had the perfect life: middle-class, loved by both parents, fighting on a regular basis with my younger brother, sleeping under my mother's piano while she practiced, waking to my father's cello rehearsals. Then my mother got cancer, and the family got very, very plugged up. Which is why now I have a passion - a PASSION - for communication.
2)I grew up 30 minutes away from George Clooney, and never got to meet him, though his father Nick was on TV all the time – news guy. *sigh*
3) I have somehow never married. But I ain't dead yet. Paging Mr. Clooney!
4) I wrote and self-published an autobiographical book about spirituality and psychological problems. I think maybe 10 people bought it, but one of them was someone who actually wrote to thank me. My work here...is done.
5) My spiritual teacher (who, to me, is basically God) told me that I WILL be a successful working actress. So I'm supposed to be living in faith. Instead, I walk a fine, razor-sharp line between "She told me I would" and "Gotta surrender, 'cause who knows if I'll 'make it' or not!" Craaaaaazy mental (im)balance.
6) I spent 6 years taking care of my Dad while he was having strokes and other diseases in the final stages of his life in the early 1990’s. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Solidified our love for each other.
7) I've begun to meet some amazing people in the acting biz. Last weekend, Michael Kostroff (from "The Wire", and the national tour of "Les Mis" and "The Producers". I mean, puh-leeze! And he's my "bro" - a New York Jew (my muthah was, so I feel New Yawkish by osmosis)!). He gave an audition workshop – pure genius. Before that, Kirk Baltz, from "Reservoir Dogs" and tons of other things, who did an overpriced but well, well worth it weekend-long seminar. And two years ago Harold Guskin, Kevin Kline's decades-long acting coach and friend. Sitting in the room with THAT guy, working independently with him, was like sticking my finger into an electric socket. FABulous.
8) I have a secret (hah!) desire to learn figure-skating and take up tap dancing again.
9) My deepest desire in life is to be an actress. But even it may take second place to being wealthy (or permanently taken care of!). I would do - and sometimes have done (no, nothing sexy, just foolish) - almost anything to make that happen so I can stop panicking daily over the fact that I have turned out to be such a gypsy in life.
10) My dearest friend died last January, and up until really recently, I could still talk to him internally. I don't know where he's off to right now, but I wish he'd come back from vacation and talk to me, already! Paging Randy!
Lori
oh my goodness, dan! now in meetings i'll be picturing you.....
ReplyDeletebut seriously, the key to life IS relationships. and now i know more about you, that adds to ours. thank you.
and please take note of the time of your post.
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and miss lori! you are my role model for writing and communication. i used to marvel at your handwritten letters (still have a bunch of them, in fact) and i can say you've got the writer's gift. you are not afraid to share your heart, and it is always about something meaningful to you. and, despite my many moves, you are one of the friends i've managed to keep since college days. yay!
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xoxoxo to both of you.
aren't people fascinating and dear? thanks for sharing youreselves. it really does make me love you.
ReplyDeleteThese are fun! I am glad to get to know all of you better...Sara, you too, but your site doesn't allow comments! Lucy, you should just travel. You will love it! Barnstable will be there when you get back.
ReplyDeleteBy the way! Did you update your site!? It looks great!
ReplyDeletesara -- i agree, people are fascinating, and it's so great that they are willing to bare pieces of themselves (you and dan, clearly, like to bare your bums).
ReplyDeletekyria -- i will definitely travel...short distances for now, when cash is scarce. but soon, i'll be branching out into the wide world.
oh, and yes, i updated the site. it's like moving the furniture around -- everything looks fresh and new!