The 25 Things

A very close and dear friend of mine created a list of 25 things about herself recently (a trend that has gone viral since a completely unrelated person I know recently did the same thing). I thought in response I would create my own list of 25 things about myself.

1. I am a t-shirt junkie. I haven’t counted the number of t-shirts I own, but it is a lot. I even have some in storage at my parent’s house. I order many original design t-shirts from Threadless, which has new designs for sale each week online. I also typically get a t-shirt from memorable concerts and the occasional cool design from Urban Outfitters.
   
2. I am generally shy when meeting people for the first time. Do not take it personally if I seem reserved at first.
   
3. I read comic books. I don’t care if that makes me a dork.
   
4. I desperately want to learn how to play guitar. My goal is to own a guitar before my 35th birthday, preferably a Fender Telecaster. I will not be satisfied until I am melting faces.
   
5. I don’t think I watch a lot of television, but in reality I do. I regularly watch only a handful of programs, but I will watch mindless shows until the one I am really interested in comes on the air.
   
6. My undergraduate degree is in Economics. Since I graduated from a liberal arts university, I had to have a “support program” of other disciplines. So I also “minored” in Philosophy and Art.
   
7. If I could have a different profession it would be in psychology/psychiatry, architecture/urban planning, or teaching.
   
8. I am afraid of exposed heights.
   
9. Three moments in rock and roll history have occurred on my birthday: (1) R.E.M. played their first show; (2) Kurt Cobain committed suicide; and (3) Layne Staley died from a “speedball” overdose.
   
10. I tend to give more in friendships/relationships that what I either get or expect back. I am trying to change this pattern because it can lead to dark places.
    
11. When I am around my family I am routinely called by my brother’s name. I try to act like it doesn’t bother me, but in fact it sucks. The next time it happens I am thinking of requesting they call me something they would find very offensive until they learn to actually use my name.
    
12. I love music festivals. I attended Bonnaroo for the first time in 2007, which was the first multi-day festival I experienced. I went to Bonnaroo again in 2008. This year I will be going to at least the Sasquatch Music Festival at The Gorge in George, Washington and the Austin City Limits Festival. I can no longer imagine a year where I don’t try to attend one music festival.
    
13. I love modern architecture and mid-century to modern furniture.
    
14. Similarly, I love modern and contemporary art. My favorite artists off all time are Pollock, Rothko, and Rauschenberg.
    
15. My favorite colors are blue and green. Though I don’t like combinations of the two, like aqua or teal.
    
16. Since I was born in the Chicago metropolitan area, my favorite sports teams are the Cubs, Bears, and Blackhawks. I don’t care for the NBA, so I am not going to add the Bulls to the list. The only non-Chicago team I support is DC United soccer.
    
17. I unfortunately like ice cream and Oreo cookies (not always together). Both of those things are really bad for me since I need to watch my cholesterol levels.
    
18. I can’t stand coconut, cinnamon, or raisins. I am okay with coconut milk in soups and curries, but things with actual bits of coconut in them are repulsive.
    
19. I absolutely detest scrapbooking. In fact, the question “do you scrapbook or do you ever see yourself getting into scrapbooking?” will from now on be used to screen all potential dates. Other screening questions are “do you want to have children?” and “how religious are you?” Incorrect answers to those questions are “yes” and “very.”
    
20. Since I am naturally a fast walker, I tend to hate people that walk slowly on city sidewalks during the workday.
    
21. I generally hate malls, or more specifically people that go to malls to just hang out and walk around. I like to have a plan and a focus when I go to a mall so I can get out of there as quickly as possible.
    
22. I have lived in 5 different states and 1 district.
    
23. Speaking of the District of Columbia, I do not like living here. I don’t like most of the people that live here either. DC has a way of changing people, and not for the better.
    
24. Because I don’t like where I currently live, I no longer have family in any place I grew up in, and my family is spread out in different faraway locations, I feel like I don’t have a true home. I think I know where I would like my home to be. Now I just got to make it happen.
    
25. I really want to be happy. I am taking the steps to get there and someday I will find reasons to smile everyday.