Back by popular demand (OpinionMom, Happy as Kings and Foundation Forum!), eight things about me:
Rules:
1. Rules? Why are there rules for what I post on my blog and how I post it? Why can't I take this as a prompt and join the discussion as I see fit? But my personality profile says that I am a bit of a nonconformist, so it is rather natural for me to challenge nonsensical rules.
The rules are simple…
2. That is good. I like things to be straight forward and above all to make sense.
Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.
3. Why eight? It is also a fairly significant number to Buddhists: eight auspicious symbols, eight noble ones, eight magnificent offerings, eight worldly dharmas. Is this the blogging equivalent? Did I ever mention that if someone wants me to do something, I like to know why? Actually, to save me from building unfair resentment of you, I need to know why.
The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
4. Uh, sorry. Too late. I'm already on number four. While I have a general deference to authority, there will be a lot less conflict if said authority gives me room to set my own goals. I don't like rules for the sake of rules. A deadline and a vision. That is all I need and I work best under these circumstances. And it doesn't really make sense to post the rules at the beginning. People generally know how these meme things work.
At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names...
5. This sounds like chain mail. What if those people don't want to answer this meme? What if they feel obligated because I tagged them and then resent me for it? What if someone else gets jealous because while they are sitting at home secretly wishing someone would tag them with this meme because everyone in the world, even their nonblogging friends, has managed to get tagged, I go and tag someone else who doesn't want to be tagged? OK, so I struggle a bit with personal relationships. I've never been the type to have a lot of friends.
...then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment,
6. Just like that? Did I ever tell you about my first day with my host family in Germany? While I was washing the dishes, my family went into the front room and closed the door. I stood awkwardly outside it for awhile and finally retired to my room, feeling dejected and shut out. I knew that Germans close doors. It isn't a privacy thing and it doesn't mean you aren't welcome. It something many Americans struggle with when they first arrive. I knew it in my head, but it was a struggle for me until my family asked me why I didn't come spend time with them after dinner. I know everyone likes comments, so that wouldn't be such a big deal, but this one will be a bit off topic.
"Hey, I noticed you wrote a long entry there in which you solved all the world's problems, but I'm really just here to see if you'll answer this meme thing and link to me."
...letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
7. Uh. Yeah. Read my blog. I cannot stand asking for things like that. That is the hardest thing for me in writing. So far I have labored my way through several article proposals and a book proposal. All required extensive rewriting. I do not like to sell myself. I like my work to stand on its own. They all take the same tone of, "If you need someone to write on this topic, I have some good ideas and would like to be considered. Thank you." But I'm supposed to come across as if I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread and the only person in the world that could possibly cover this topic. That is so not me.
8. Which brings me to the eighth trait. I know that I can come off as somewhat arrogant and self-centered. But I'm not. I am decisive, and impatient with normal social rituals. I tend to hang back and observe people. There are very few people in the world who understand my sense of humor. Most people seem to have a difficult time discerning when I'm serious and when I'm not. If I'm stirred to say something, it generally will be direct. I'm not skilled with the niceties and cloaking of intentions...and if I sense that you are cloaking your real intentions in niceties, I will tend not to trust you. All of this seems to make people think things about me that aren't really true. I'm really quite a nice person, and if I let down my guard I am a very loyal and trustworthy friend. It is just very hard for me to get to that point.
And see, people who get paid to analyze people agree with me. I think whoever wrote this spent some time inside my head. Finally, someone understands me!
Let's see...eight random people out of the blogrolls in my sidebar:
All Things Hold Together
Fernook Farmgirl (Who doesn't want to know what's going on in Mayberry?)
T.F. Stern's Rantings
Actual Unretouched Photo
Birds of the Air
Daddy's Roses ('cause I just realized that I haven't been there in a long time now that I stopped reading my bloglines account).
Graced by Christ
Fish and Cans (had to check out what that was about)
Already been tagged? That's ok, so have I. Don't feel like it? That's ok. I don't always respond to these things either.
memes, eight things about me
Rules:
1. Rules? Why are there rules for what I post on my blog and how I post it? Why can't I take this as a prompt and join the discussion as I see fit? But my personality profile says that I am a bit of a nonconformist, so it is rather natural for me to challenge nonsensical rules.
The rules are simple…
2. That is good. I like things to be straight forward and above all to make sense.
Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.
3. Why eight? It is also a fairly significant number to Buddhists: eight auspicious symbols, eight noble ones, eight magnificent offerings, eight worldly dharmas. Is this the blogging equivalent? Did I ever mention that if someone wants me to do something, I like to know why? Actually, to save me from building unfair resentment of you, I need to know why.
The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
4. Uh, sorry. Too late. I'm already on number four. While I have a general deference to authority, there will be a lot less conflict if said authority gives me room to set my own goals. I don't like rules for the sake of rules. A deadline and a vision. That is all I need and I work best under these circumstances. And it doesn't really make sense to post the rules at the beginning. People generally know how these meme things work.
At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names...
5. This sounds like chain mail. What if those people don't want to answer this meme? What if they feel obligated because I tagged them and then resent me for it? What if someone else gets jealous because while they are sitting at home secretly wishing someone would tag them with this meme because everyone in the world, even their nonblogging friends, has managed to get tagged, I go and tag someone else who doesn't want to be tagged? OK, so I struggle a bit with personal relationships. I've never been the type to have a lot of friends.
...then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment,
6. Just like that? Did I ever tell you about my first day with my host family in Germany? While I was washing the dishes, my family went into the front room and closed the door. I stood awkwardly outside it for awhile and finally retired to my room, feeling dejected and shut out. I knew that Germans close doors. It isn't a privacy thing and it doesn't mean you aren't welcome. It something many Americans struggle with when they first arrive. I knew it in my head, but it was a struggle for me until my family asked me why I didn't come spend time with them after dinner. I know everyone likes comments, so that wouldn't be such a big deal, but this one will be a bit off topic.
"Hey, I noticed you wrote a long entry there in which you solved all the world's problems, but I'm really just here to see if you'll answer this meme thing and link to me."
...letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
7. Uh. Yeah. Read my blog. I cannot stand asking for things like that. That is the hardest thing for me in writing. So far I have labored my way through several article proposals and a book proposal. All required extensive rewriting. I do not like to sell myself. I like my work to stand on its own. They all take the same tone of, "If you need someone to write on this topic, I have some good ideas and would like to be considered. Thank you." But I'm supposed to come across as if I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread and the only person in the world that could possibly cover this topic. That is so not me.
8. Which brings me to the eighth trait. I know that I can come off as somewhat arrogant and self-centered. But I'm not. I am decisive, and impatient with normal social rituals. I tend to hang back and observe people. There are very few people in the world who understand my sense of humor. Most people seem to have a difficult time discerning when I'm serious and when I'm not. If I'm stirred to say something, it generally will be direct. I'm not skilled with the niceties and cloaking of intentions...and if I sense that you are cloaking your real intentions in niceties, I will tend not to trust you. All of this seems to make people think things about me that aren't really true. I'm really quite a nice person, and if I let down my guard I am a very loyal and trustworthy friend. It is just very hard for me to get to that point.
And see, people who get paid to analyze people agree with me. I think whoever wrote this spent some time inside my head. Finally, someone understands me!
Let's see...eight random people out of the blogrolls in my sidebar:
All Things Hold Together
Fernook Farmgirl (Who doesn't want to know what's going on in Mayberry?)
T.F. Stern's Rantings
Actual Unretouched Photo
Birds of the Air
Daddy's Roses ('cause I just realized that I haven't been there in a long time now that I stopped reading my bloglines account).
Graced by Christ
Fish and Cans (had to check out what that was about)
Already been tagged? That's ok, so have I. Don't feel like it? That's ok. I don't always respond to these things either.
memes, eight things about me
