Karen tagged me to write eight random facts about myself, and since I was honored to be tagged, I figured I’d do it.  What the heck.  I promise not to write about my back pain.  Oops, I just did.  Anyhow, onward, shall we?

1. I have panic attacks if I have to stand in a line. 

I have no clue why.  I’m not claustrophobic, I’m about as patient as they come, I can’t explain it.  I don’t think about it, it just happens.  The first one happened when I was in college, standing waiting to go on a ride at Universal Studios while on spring break.  I couldn’t breathe, I got hot, I started to pass out.  It was so strange.  Now it happens everywhere there’s a long line.  It happened at Jo-Ann Fabric one day while I was waiting to have fabric cut.  I kept squatting down and pretending to play with my shoe so I could avoid passing out and losing my place in line.  If you wait in a line with me, you’ll see me sway a lot or move around, shake my arms out, etc.  This seems to distract me.  Drinking water or talking to someone helps, too.  So weird.

2. I’m firmly rooted.

I married the boy I dated when I was 15, I chose the college I attended because it was closest to home, my house is only 4 miles away from my parent’s house, and if given the choice to go out or stay in, I would always choose to stay in.

3. I wish I could sing.

I think it’s genetic (sorry Mom) but I don’t think that singing genes run in my family.  The problem is that I know this terrible fact, so I won’t sing when anyone can hear me and I desperately wish that I could.   I think about taking voice lessons every now and then but the thought of singing in front of even a voice teacher makes me sick.

4. I can’t stand repetition.  I can’t stand repetition.  I can’t stand repetition.

It flips my irate switch when someone repeats themselves.  Especially when you don’t understand something and someone so generously attempts to explain by repeating the exact thing they said in the first place.  All repetition bugs me.  Kids in the grocery store, the seatbelt alarm in my car, that Outkast song where he sings “alright, alright, alright, alright……..” Uh!  Just replaying it in my head makes me angry.

5. I can’t stand repetition. (Just kidding) 

5. If I can’t get paid to make artwork and jewelry, my dream job is managing a Starbucks.  I’m not kidding.

I love Starbucks.  Even if I didn’t drink coffee I would still love Starbucks.  The stores are designed beautifully, their merchandise is gorgeous, the atmosphere is welcoming, the company is generous and thoughtful of the employee.  I also sort of miss the retail industry.  Call it brainwashing, but I miss the public contact.  I just think I could kick some butt managing a Starbucks.  I wonder how much that pays?

6. I’m afraid of the dark.

More specifically the invisible movie-type scary things that might lurk in the dark and want to get me.  Especially in the basement.  File it under irrational responses with no explanation, right after panic attacks while waiting in line.  I’ve seen too many horror movies.  They’ve spoiled the darkness for me.  That combined with the fact that I can’t see a thing in the dark, I have weird, peripheral vision only in the dark, so I think things are jumping out at me all the time.  I’m also afraid of sharks and alligators and finding dead bodies in remote locations, like down by the river on our property.  Perhaps medication is in order?

7.  I think if the calssification was around when I was little, I would have had Asperger Syndrome.

[A little side note here, I worked at Borders in the late 90’s and got a phone call at the information desk one morning by a man who said “I want information on Ass Burgers”.  Or at least that’s what I thought he said.  I thought it was a prank call and asked him, snidely, how to spell that before realizing that it was actually Asperger and it wasn’t dirty, it was a disorder.  Ha!]

Although I don’t have the repetitive thing (thank god), I am extremely sensitive, easily overstimulated, focused on the little details of things, and my favorite symptom: clumsy and uncoordinated.  I have a tough time with social interaction, too, but I’ve worked on that and I can at least fake comfort in a group of strangers.  On the inside, I’d rather run and hide than make small talk, but I know that well-adjusted adults don’t do that sort of thing.

8. I love to play with kids but imaging having kids of my own gives me a sick, choking feeling (sorry again Mom). 

Since babysitting as a kid and working at Borders in the children’s section, I have loved to play with kids.  Any kids.  Kids at the grocery store, my sister’s kids, friends’ kids.  You can be silly and creative and weird and make faces at them and they love it!  It’s fun to pretend to be a pirate on a couch-ship surrounded by carpet-water, but having to jump ship to make the rules and be with kids 24/7… see number 7, section: overstimulated.  No thanks.  I can’t do it.

So how was that?  Random enough for you?  I’m supposed to tag eight others now but I’m averse to all things chain letter-ish so I’m going to leave the tagging up to you.  Paula? Amanda? Flann? Melissa (if you’re still alive)? If you feel like writing, go for it!