Pieces of Eight

I was tagged by Clay to tell you 8 things about me. I’ve never done a meme before in my more than 2 years of blogging but you never know what you may learn from them. I learned that Clay, whose writing I recently found, could have been my neighbor back when we were children. The world is small. And so, I will try to unearth 8 things that you perhaps don’t know about me.

Rules: Each person posts the rules before their list, then they list 8 things about themselves. At the end of the post, that person tags and links to 8 other people; then visits those people’s sites and comments, letting them know that they have been tagged, and to come read the post, so they know what they have to do.

1. I did not wear shoes during the first few months of my freshman year of college. I could walk miles on hot black pavement. I went barefoot everywhere. The bottoms of my feet were like black leather. I could not wash them clean. At the time my hair was bleached white blond and hung to the middle of my back. Perfect strangers would call me “Splash” after the movie starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah.
2. My college was primarily an engineering school with a 3 to 1 male to female ratio. For some reason it was part of the school’s culture to show porn movies in the campus cinema during exam weeks. Those films were certainly educational.
3. I was not censored much as a child. I saw the film a Clockwork Orange at age 6 on HBO. I did not understand all that happened in it but some images still haunt me today. I saw the unrated Caligula at 16. I may have been older but not wiser. Some things are better left unseen. I prefer Disney. Books are safer.
4. I’ve never used any illegal substances. Boring I know. This is not for the lack of trying on some people’s part (bad peers!). I think I am an outlier in this demographic for several reasons. I knew that my brain was my primary asset and I didn’t want to risk it. Also, I like being in control. I always hated those people who would say “I was under the influence of _____ so my behavior during that time doesn’t count.” I didn’t want to be one of those people.
5. I own tarot cards. I know how to use them. I stopped. Years ago. I found them to be unnervingly accurate. I realized that I only used them when I was unhappy, hoping to find some glimpse of a promising future. I decided to chart my own future. At that point what could the cards tell me? Life is good. OK I know that. Life is going to get very bad. Truly I don’t need to know this ahead of time. I still have the cards somewhere.
6. I once went to a fortune teller at a Renaissance Festival. She started to cry when she looked at me. She went to hug a tree. I still like Renaissance Festivals but I don’t get my fortune told anymore.
7. I had a crush on a boy in high school. His family had a summer house on the NJ shore. We were fighting on the phone one evening. I snuck out of the house at 2AM and rode my bicycle the 60 miles, in the rain, to his home to finish the conversation in person. (I wish I was making this up). About half way there, cold and wet, I knew this was a huge mistake but it was as far to go forward as to go back. On I went. I called my mom when I got there. She used to like to tell this story about me. I don’t know whether she still does.
8. I often think of people in terms of animals. For example, I have a colleague who I see as big golden retriever who can approach large groups with his tail held high, wagging, knowing that he will be welcomed. I’m not sure what I am.

And now, I’m supposed to tag 8 other people with this meme. It’s this part of memes that make me uncomfortable in that chain letter, your life will be ruined if you don’t pass it on, kind of way. And so I will do a reverse tag, if you find this meme fun, and you want to do it please let me know that you have and I will list it here. I will say that I’d love to see what Kyra, Irene, Maggie, Mel, Stacey, Nico, Ms. Smartypantz and Julie have to say.