Thursday, July 25, 2013

Ten Ways to Lose Friends and Negatively Influence People (But I Hope Not)

I have done a few "Getting to Know You" style posts on this blog.  Mostly because, when the blog award craze was at its zenith, those accompanying questionnaires were invariably part of the chain-letter equation.  In answering those questionnaires, my tendency of course, is to put my best face forward so it looks like my life is just one giant whirl of glamorous parties and intrepid roadside adventure.  (I know, you're thinking, "That's his BEST face?!?!")  Therefore, there are a few things that are still unknown to the general public and, more than probably, should remain thus.  When the charismatic Jenny, from the lovely and inspirational Everyday is a Holiday, tagged wacky tacky in a recent post, I threw caution, and my better judgment, to the wind and decided to play along in the "10 Things You Didn't Know About Me," game.

Highly flattered to be included in Jenny's post (somebody wants to know more about me?), I remembered the best advice I have ever received when it comes to blogging/social media - "Keep things light, bright, and polite."  Because I do my best to focus on the positive where this blog is concerned, I quickly realized that most of the things about myself that were un/lesser known were gravitating towards the negative (hence, the "anti-Carnegian" title of this post).  I also saw that most of my list was directly or indirectly food-related (very telling).  I hope that after reading this we can still be friends.  Here goes nothin'!


TEN THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT MR. TINY
 (BUT COULD PROBABLY GUESS)

1.  In my early twenties I took a tap dance class with a Japanese exchange student who was living with us.  I figured it was essential to becoming a well-rounded star of stage and screen.  As in most dance studios, one wall was made entirely of mirrors.  I always took my place in the back of the room but being the tallest person in a class populated by senior citizens, young women, and a Japanese exchange student, I could always see my bright-red face's glistening reflection bobbing above the crowd.  Hoping that I would at least come away with the time step, I was disheartened to learn that ours was a "rhythm tap" class and we were to learn "street style" rather than traditional tap steps.  I didn't dance out of there as the next Gene Kelly, but I will say that I was pretty darn good for a beginner.  Some might even call me  "a natural"...okay, one lady...just one old lady.

I've still got 'em!

2.  I hate waste of any kind - time, talent, food, perfectly-good tap shoes, etc.  I have a few friends who always take their leftovers from restaurants home (knowing that they will never eat them) because they are afraid of the withering glance I will give them for wasting so much food.  Then I think about the wasted products used to wrap the food that they're only taking home to throw away when they know I'm not looking, and I get more upset.  At least give the food to someone in need, right?  I particularly hate wasting time and, in a neurotic exercise of guilt, I end almost every day by reviewing all the things I should have accomplished in my waking hours.  As a result, I get an unnatural amount of satisfaction out of checking items off the to-do lists that I make for myself.

TO-DO
1. Eat everyone's leftovers
CHECK!
(Source)

3.  I am not a vegetarian but I love vegetarian food.  I have a brother who has been vegetarian/vegan for most of his life.  The result is many experiences with vegetarian - particularly ethnic vegetarian - cuisine.  I have never been especially fond of meat products (too many chewy bits, gristle, and blood), I'm lactose intolerant, and my policy is to never be afraid of trying new fruits/vegetables, so most veggie food is a good fit for me.  I also think vegan cakes are often times superior to their non-vegan counterparts.

Mmmmmm, caaaake!!!
(This one wasn't vegan)

4.  My international travel experiences are very limited but given the opportunity, I would move to Australia today.  It is so awesome!  The people are friendly, the food is delicious, and the pace is very laid back.  When I was there several years ago with my sister, we were on a rather choppy ferry ride across Sydney Harbor.  As the waves crested and the boat bounced, a little girl kept coyly scurrying around and shyly peering at us as we chatted.  Finally, after a little encouragement from her father, she approached us and meekly asked, "Are you from Hollywood?" (imagine that in the cutest Australian accent ever).  Taken aback, I asked her, "Why? Do we look like movie stars?" (HA! HA!)  She replied in a dreamy, wistful manner, "No, but you talk just like they do in the movies."  If that wasn't enough incentive to move to Australia, I don't know what is.  We were instant celebrities!!

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go!
(Source)

5.  I have a weird affinity for bowls and chairs (not necessarily in tandem).  I could be partial to a good sofa but chairs are so dynamic, capable of creating an interesting silhouette without the bulk and broad expanses of upholstery offered by a sofa.  I love slipper chairs, wingbacks, club chairs, cigar chairs, butterfly chairs - you name it!  Bowls hold things - fruit, keys, matchbooks, dairy-free ice cream.  There is something so wholesome about a nice bowl of soup.  There is something so exciting about the anticipatory moments before a bowl is filled.  There is something so gracious about a full bowl.  There is something so rewarding about joyfully emptying one.  Perhaps I, as I am like to do, am over thinking the whole bowl situation, but I do love them - cut glass, anodized aluminum, jadite, Pyrex, stainless mixing, wooden, drabware, etc.

A gorgeous, two-tone, mohair, club chair with wood trim.
If it wasn't in a dang-blasted museum in West Virginia, I
definitely would have tried to fit it in my carry on.

6.  Raw wood (popsicle sticks, tongue depressors, the flat, little, poor-imitation-for-a-spoon sticks that come with those individual ice cream cups sold at the school cafeteria) makes my skin crawl.  Talking about it, thinking about it, even writing about it makes me anxious.  I don't have a lot of hang ups, but YECH, I can't stand those things!  They make me gag.

The stuff of nightmares.
I guess I am not alone on this one.  I found this picture on
the blog of someone who  shares my contempt for them.
 (Source)

7.  Speaking of things that make me gag...EVERYTHING!!!  Every time I go to the dentist one or both of us ends up in hysterics because the x-rays make me gag, the gauze makes me gag, the gloved fingers make me gag.  It's a nightmare!  Mary makes fun of me because chewing gum makes me gag.  Every once in awhile, in a panicky desire to freshen my breath, I'll forget my troubles and pop in a piece of gum.  Invariably, it ends in full, dry-heave gagging.  Too much information???

Double the enemy!!!
(Source)

8.  I had to borrow one from Jenny's list and that is that I do not like talking on the phone.  It sounds terrible to say this but it seems like such a waste of time.  Using the phone to catch up with an old friend is great but for as good a multi-tasker as I think I am, I just can't talk on the phone and do something else at the same time.  That's why I never talk and drive.  I also find it disturbing when people talk on the phone whilst using the bathroom.  Finding that I can best express myself in the written word (letters, notes, and blogging), I much prefer writing or sitting around and chatting with friends face to face.

Can you hear me now?
No?
Good.
(Source)

9.  I am a worry wart.  I do my best to not let it overcome my thoughts and actions but I have a preternatural tendency towards anxiety.  I worry about the state of our society.  I worry about being late.  I worry about the kind of impression I make on people.  I worry about how much I worry.  If a friend or loved one isn't at a designated location at an appointed time, I immediately think about all the terrible things that could have gone wrong.  I have made some self-guided progress recently by just telling myself to let go of all the things over which I have no control (but I worry that I'm not listening to myself).

I like this guy's style.
(Source)

10.  I have always been relatively flexible for a large person.  Many years ago, following a performance that included me dancing, singing, and dying on stage, a little old lady walked up to me and said, "I didn't know someone who looked like you could move like that."  Well, as the saying goes, "The proof is in the pudding," ladies and gentlemen; standing on one foot, I can touch the toes of my other foot to my nose (using both hands and hunching over, of course).  I think in yoga parlance it is called a "Full Moon Rising" or "A Fool's Moon Rising" or something like that.  You can probably do it too, but I have so little; won't you please just throw me a bone?

Are you more impressed with my pathetic attempt at contortion
or how quickly I was able to recreate "Worry Warts'" outfit.  

If there was a #11 on this list, it would obviously be that I have little to no shame.  
I pulled this monkeyshine in full view of the whole neighborhood.

Well, I hope I didn't over share here.  Are you totally turned off?  Do we have much in common?  Are you inspired to share ten of your dirty, little secrets lesser-known qualities?  Please fill me in on the things that I don't know about you.

Thanks to Jenny & Aaron at Everyday is a Holiday for this introspective opportunity.  Please be sure to check out their blog, Facebook page, Instagram, and every other outlet where one might share in their joy and creative spirit; you'll be glad that you did!


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

21 comments:

  1. I feel you on #6. It seems I inevitable get the one with tiny splinter on it, which I think will give me some kind of tongue tetanus. I feel like I may as well be eating with a twig all prehistoric-like.

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    1. Isn't it awkwardly primitive to eat off a flat piece of wood? I may look like a caveman, but I prefer not to eat like one! Hahahaha!!!

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    1. Whoops. Sorry, my computer glitched.

      #8 is totally me. I actually don't like talking on the phone at all. It's ironic because it's a huge part of my beauty business to return phone calls. I've actually paid an assistant for 8 years to keep me off the phone. IF there was a hell, it would be me in a white room with a rotary telephone making calls that nobody answers! I didn't even get a cell phone till I was forced to at 26.

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    2. When I got my smart phone, I never dreamed that I would really us it for anything other than talking; now talking is the LAST thing I use it for (instagram, text, words with friends, etsy). We were raised in a house where we didn't answer the phone (calls were always screened); if the phone rang while guests were over, they were always astonished that we weren't rushing to the phone to answer it. I guess I have been conditioned to ignore the phone!!

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  3. Dunno if I believe you on the "vegan cakes are better than the real thing" front, but I'm always willing to try new food! But mostly I wanted to say how impressed I was at your worry wart outfit. (And I'm not a fan of talking on the phone either, unless it's someone I've known for a very long time...)

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    1. I accept that as a personal challenge! A vegan chocolate cake recipe has replaced the traditional one in our house - it is rich, moist, dense, and DELICIOUS!!! But don't get me wrong, I still love butter and eggs!!!

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  4. I wish I could get that close to my feet; I'd give myself much better pedicures!

    And, it's funny you should allude to the title of Dale Carnegie's best-known book but not to his other one, which i recommend:"How to Stop Worrying and Start Living"

    About that overactive gag reflex: Aren't you glad you're not GAY?

    One thing I always recommend to vegetarians: Indian Black salt. (kala namak) Yeah, it smells like boiled eggs, but it enhances the taste of vegetables like nothing else. Indians are the masters of vegetarian eating! Try eating a bowl of raw sprouts plain (meh) and then try them with a little sprinkle of black salt..you will be able to power through the bowl and then ask for seconds, that's how well it works! You just gotta get past the smell...everyone will think you passed gas in the kitchen!

    I like bowls too. And boxes; I have an absurdly large collection of small boxes and tins of various kinds.

    I know what you mean about having wooden objects in one's mouth. The texture is definitely creepy on the tongue. Me, I can't stand the sensation of clay or mud drying on my hands; it gives me the jimjams!

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    1. I'm sure you have a party trick to rival mine; everyone does!

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  5. I don't just say this to be sociable, but you and I are a lot alike! #10 actually makes me think of an incident this week. I HATE hearing the sound of my voice recorded and played back (in my head my voice sounds normal and masculine, but infect is rather high pitched.) Earlier this week we choreographed, danced, and recorded the "Mambo" scene for our upcoming production West Side Story. I was mortified to see myself, here I make believe I'm some good looking kid of the streets in 1957 with swift dance moves... And in reality I'm a 5'4", stock, and stumbling through most of the "Mambo", but I have so much fun I just through my hunched shoulders back and keep doing it because I love it! :)

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    1. I've often struggled with the injustice of sounding like one thing inside one's own head and sounding like something entirely different on recordings. I too hate the sound of my own voice - very embarrassing! I am surprised that anyone is willing to listen to me ever. I'm glad that you're out there dancing and having fun - that is what counts!!!

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  6. I often tell the kids I work with "The more I know about you, the more I seem to like you...isn't it funny that we think people won't like us when they learn more about us, I've always found it to be the contrary." And, I def. feel the same about you Mr. Tiny! :)

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  7. Love your list! And I'll have you know I just had to see if I could do #10 for myself because I couldn't just assume it was possible. But apparently, I can. I wouldn't have known that if it weren't for you! ;)

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    1. I am so glad that I could broaden the repertoire of useless parlor tricks! Hahahaha!!! Have you done one of these lists? I probably should have tagged others to see what they would reveal. I, and the rest of your readership, would love to know 10 little-known facts about you!

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  8. You're bonkers if you think that I'm going to try to touch my toes to my nose. I'd be crooked for a month after that! I loved reading this list. I too share the love of chairs (add credenzas to my list), and worrying. And also the dislike of talking on the phone - so let's never do that. I was a receptionist for over twenty years so you can imagine how much I totally hated my job. I've never heard of the wooden spoon issue and like them, though it's probably because they make me feel nostalgic. I'm also a gagger and drive my dentist and hygienist crazy asking them to stop constantly. I love that you and Mary were approached by that kid in Australia. You ARE stars, you silly.

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    1. You're not even going to try??? Hahahaha!!! My dentist is fond of saying. "You know this is all in your head." I always feel like responding, "No, you and your surgical-gloved fingers are all up in my head and it's making me gag!!!" but I have to put myself in as zen a state as possible before going to the dentist.

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  9. As an Australian vegan who hates talking on the phone I loved reading through your list! Always wanted to dance like Gene Kelly too :0) just discovered I can touch my nose with my foot... Who knew?!

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    1. I'm glad that at least two people have discovered a new "talent" after reading this blog. It just occurred to me one day that I should be able to do it and lo and behold, I could. Next time I'm down under, we must all meet up for a delicious, vegan dinner!!!

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  10. These are all so gooooood! Let's see...me and Aaron both have the same favorites. The Australia thing is great! We haven't traveled there but Australia always seems to come to you if you go anywhere in the world. You will always run into Aussies on holiday...and they are always ready to party. And party could mean anything from eating pizza to making paper crafts. They are down for whatever. And our other fave is your front lawn physical challenge...first off, c'mon with the exact replica of Worry Wort's outfit!!! you rule! And secondly Aaron finds it very impressive and would never attempt that masterful physical feat. (granted...he is the least flexible person ever!) But impressive nonetheless!

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    1. Aren't Aussies the best (and the luckiest - so much vacation time)?!?! You're absolutely right, every time we go anywhere Aussies are there. In fact, my aunt is from Australia; she and my uncle met on holiday in Bali. I actually find a little bit of joy in the fact that Aaron can't perform "Toes to the Nose." Everybody keeps telling me that after trying it they CAN do it...my party trick is becoming less special. I almost have to do it in a costume to make it exciting! Hahahaha!!! Thanks again for all of the special July opportunities!!! You guys are the best! I hope you the chance to go to Australia soon - you will both love it!

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