24 seemed to be a socially appropriate number.

I was not tagged to write a note regarding 27 random facts about myself. A
few friends have done as much recently, and who am I to be left behind?
However, I've decided that since I will turn 24 come my next
day-of-birth, since there are 24 hours in a day, since there are 24
elders in Revelation, and since Kiefer Sutherland's prestige clock just
keeps on tickin', I'm going for ...you guessed it.



Please read below should you enjoy quirky introspection. ...and I will tag others!



1. I am an ENFP, according to the Meyers-Briggs personality test.



2.I eat salads plain, meaning only vegetables--no dressing. I detest
dressing of all varieties, save lemon juice and olive oil. I also
disdain ketchup. Yick.



3. I have a love affair with the elliptical machine. If I work out, I
really work out--3 to 5 miles at a shot--but only on the elliptical. I
am an exercise machine monogamist.



4. I adore words. Mainly multi-syllabic or out-of-the-way words that
one doesn't hear very often. More syllables, please! .. I suppose an
argument could be made for simple speech, and I agree, in part.
However, I use large words not to feign importance, status, or
brilliant mental acuity, but to convey multiple thoughts/feelings with
single words--or two or more, when they form lush word-picture
combinations.



5. I've always thought that being left handed was sexy. I don't know
why. I made a concerted effort to transform myself into a lefty when I
was a child. It didn't work. I am considering another college-try.

-Note regarding "sexy": There are a few things I've found very sexy "in
my time" that may not mean much to others, but I find they are worth
mentioning: 1: Once, a friend and I were talking outside in blinding
sunlight. He was wearing dark aviator glasses. He took them off in
order to look me in the eye. Wildly Sexy. 2. Once, I walked into a room
where a friend who is very good-looking was surrounded by equally
good-looking counterparts of the female gender. He stopped, mid
conversation, looked up to say hello to me (by name) and grin. Wildly
sexy, again. I DO NOT WANT TO DATE EITHER OF THESE MEN--but I think
"sexy" to me, means doing something to make someone feel valued,
noticed, and appreciated. FEELING COMFORTABLE ENOUGH IN YOUR OWN SKIN
TO MAKE SOMEONE ELSE COMFORTABLE IN THEIRS. Ta-da! ...but then there's
that thing I have for guys in plaid. And the fact that anything raw or
blatantly passionate in everyday life is entirely "sexy." Ah, well, I
guess it ALL doesn't fit neatly into a thesis.-



6. My least favorite song is BJ Thomas' "Hooked on a feeling." Once I
had a horrid dream that my mother left my father for a red-headed
surfer, and I sang said song at their wedding--while doing a
poster-board presentation on why she and my dad should get back
together. (It was in the early 90s. We didn't have power point then).
It's funny, now...but it was so jarring initially that hearing the song
STILL makes me nauseated.



7. Sometimes I get mental "flashes". It's not entirely difficult to
explain if you've seen the NBC show, "Chuck." I'll hear a name or see a
person, and an onslaught of mental images will involuntarily come into
play. There is a certain professor who says everything with a hard "e".
When I see his face, I "see" (in my mind's eye) a big, blue,
Sesame-Street like letter E coming out of his face.



8. At some point, I will use the phrase: "Sorry about all of the
gravity!" in everyday conversation. I save up phrases I like--to use at
appropriate times.



9. My favorite scent in the whole entire world is Chanel's Coco
Mademoiselle. My least favorite scent is ANY form of Axe body spray--I
firmly refute all of the commercial's claims.



10. My soul thrives off of finding kindred spirits. Some people go to
beautiful, scenic paces and say that they find a small piece of heaven.
Me? I go to friends of like mind, pursuits, tastes, or hearts. Nothing
fills me quite like association with quality people--I nearly cry upon
a) meeting them (which may look strange) or b) leaving them. Goodbyes
are not my favorite or forte--usually because I give so many hugs that
(I'm sure) others are ready for me to retire.



11. I have been called a pop-culture junkie. However, I see it as
something deeper than your average celebrity/song/movie/trend:

To me, it is humanity striving and reaching out toward God. I hear the
ache, the struggle, the wrestling with the human condition. It becomes
a very precious allegory to me.



12. When I was a child, I had biblical characters as imaginary friends.
Queen Esther, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego lived next door. I also
had a "crush" on King David.



13. My penchant for crushes on literary or fictitious characters continues to this day.
Also, those REAL characters far past my own time period: James Dean,
Gordon Waller, John Cusack (I could argue for that one, however).
Something strikes a chord, and then they live in my mental vernacular
forevermore. :)



14. If I want to learn something on a certain subject, my habit, since
childhood, has been as follows: Go to the library, clean out the
shelves, and leave with all books on the matter. Picture an 11 year old
doing this--also, learning the hard lesson of double-bagging in the
parking lot. The Arthurian legend, method acting, interior decorating,
personality analysis, cryptozoology, celebrity biographies, dance steps
(don't learn to dance from a book--though I can still waltz)... you get
the idea. One book is never enough. 19 books are standard. Dad used to
"ground me" by saying I could only check out 5 at a time.



15. If I had copious amounts of money at my disposal, I would travel,
travel, travel, travel, and travel. Then, I would travel some more.
This is mainly why (f I ever) envy those with money--not because of
power or status, but because of opportunity to travel.



16. If I had to listen to one band for the rest of my life, it would be
the Beatles. If I had to listen to one genre of music for the rest of
my life, it would be "oldies," though that's rather all encompassing.
To nail it down to a decade, I'd take the 60s.



17. I've always felt a bit out of sync with my own time and
generation. I relate more readily to those of my father's generation.
I've always felt, dually, both un-cool, dorky, and out of place--as
well as entirely cool, special, smart, and valued. NOW, however, I've
settled into my own skin and love just...being me. :)



18. I was the pastor of a non-denominational church for three years,
from age 19-22. This is why I majored in Theology last year. (It's a
minor, now).



19. I am working on writing my first book. :)



20. I've recently found that I consider myself to be "grown up." A
woman. I've made friends with this idea--it is me, it is my own. I am
an adult.



21. The best thing I've done thus far in the new year is to take
devotional time in the mornings AND evenings. I feel as though I am in
a womb of peace.



22. I find myspace/facebook playlists to be an emotional barometer to
the soul's condition. Listen to my playlists and it will speak volumes
about who I am or what I am experiencing at the moment.



23. I feel the weighty power of prayer--praying for others is, honestly, one of my favorite things to do.



24. I start telling others I am a year older than I actually am once my
birthday is around 3/4 months away. I've already pontificated that I am
24 in conversations--without even thinking about it, really. How do you
correct that one gracefully, friends? "Wait, sorry. I just lied. I'm
actually 23, but apparently impatient."