Today I apologized to my good friend, because every time we go out to lunch, I feel like chaos incarnate. Another good friend recently told me that I am a chronic over-scheduler. Another friend asked me if maybe I had a “touch of the OCD” and Craig just emailed me to tell me about his day and that “unlike me who’s been running laps around the world with quick detours to other planets, he has been sitting at his desk.”
So, basically, I am a type A, overachieving, crazy person who gets a lot of shit done. In spirit with that, I’m going to do a little catch up on the Reverb10 prompts that a group of writers put together for bloggers around the world to use to reflect and shit on 2010. Keep up if you can. Reflections on my year, using a few of the 16 prompts sent so far. Ready. Set. Go.
One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word.
Strengthening.
Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing and can you eliminate it.
Bathroom activities. If only!
Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?
By writing in this blog. It makes me see the world through different eyes. What used to seem mundane to me is now often ripe with possibilities, intriguing details, and certainly comedy. I’m pretty jazzed that I’ve learned to feel special by being ordinary. And that I subsequently find all ordinary people really fucking fascinating.
What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?
I let go of the belief that if I chose to do the things I wanted to do rather than what other people wanted me to do it would mean I was a bad and selfish mother, wife, friend, daughter, person. Do I really need to answer the second question? Because, duh to the duh.
Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up.
I stare at people. A lot. Craig finds it embarrassing. Once a friend gets to know me better, they often confess that I made them SO uncomfortable at first because of how intently I watched them. They tell me “I could never tell what you were thinking.” They often assume that what I was thinking was negative. They are usually wrong.
This quality makes me unapproachable and means I often leave social gatherings feeling like a total social idiot, but I think it brings a sense of poetry to my world. And once someone and I can get comfortable with each other, I can share that sense of poetry with them.
Also, I’ve got great jugs.
When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?
If I told you, I’d have to kill you. But I will say that all first steps in a plan begin with reading books. Because, duh.
What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year?
My husband. He works his ass off. He is am amazing father to our children. He supports me in all sorts of crazy endeavors that require huge sacrifices on his part for the lone purpose of making me a happier individual. And I’ve recently become aware of just how unique he is, as far as husbands go. Plus he makes me laugh. Plus he’s a good lay.
YAY 2010!
More to come hopefully. They only give you one prompt a day. Probably so our brains won’t explode with too much effort.
Now I have one for you. If 2010 were an animal, what animal would it be?
Just kidding. That’s too easy. It’d be a chimpanzee. Because, duh.
Let me give you a harder one. What is the bravest thing you did this year, and how’d that go for you? Come on and play in my comments.
I will commence with staring at you uncomfortably right… NOW!
I’m going to have to agree with you about your jugs. They are spectacular.
And the second-to-last question, HELLO, YOU ARE MY MRS DECEMBER! That is what you are doing next.
Duh to the Duh.
Genevieve Thompson Reply:
December 16th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
I want to be Mrs. December. I am awaiting further instructions, yo. And I sincerely hope when I receive them they will self-destruct.
Because duh to the duh.
I went to the movies by myself,always a life long goal!I didn’t even pretend I was waiting for someone else to meet me! Isn’t that lame? I also quit smoking, but I’m more proud of the movie thing
Genevieve Thompson Reply:
December 16th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
No, it’s not lame. It’s awesome. Because you did something you were really scared to do! Check that bad boy off the list, yo.
Oh, crap! You are? I was too!
We need to have some ideas then. ;)
Ok. first off, not sure how I feel about finding out Craig is a great lay. I mean, yea for you! But ….eeeeewwwwww…..for me. (PS – I’m a total prude when it comes to talking about sex. It’s all the Presbyterian Church’s fault. Yea for great sex! But let’s not talk about such things….I’m a weirdo. I know.)
Scary thing I did this year! Started training for a 5k. And, as a result, got a stress fracture! AND, didn’t let that stress fracture derail my plans!
2011′s scary thing will be ACTUALLY running a 5k. You say “fuck you feet!” I say “Screw you knees! We’ll have knee replacements at 40 and it’ll be AWESOME.”
Genevieve Thompson Reply:
December 16th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
The way you are about sex, I’m that way about bodily functions. I do not need to know. Sorry to have grossed you out. But Jennifer, sex does a body good. Just sayin. And making you squeamish is just an added bonus.
Run, Jennifer, Run! When is your race?
Tie between…. 1. Bought a house and quit my job to go into business for myself within 1 week of each other
2. Swam in a team triathlon with VERY minimal training
Both could have been really brave or really stupid…depending on outcome, and I’m happy to report that they are still really brave.
Genevieve Thompson Reply:
December 16th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Ooh. Both very big deals. The swim is scary hard, isn’t it? And without much training? I can’t imagine. And buying a house and quitting a job at the same time? I think that deserves a standing ovation. What faith!
2010 will go down in bobbi history as “the year I got off my ass.” I started running in March and completed a marathon in October. Not exactly reccommended by the “experts” but I’m no expert so it worked for me…
Genevieve Thompson Reply:
December 17th, 2010 at 11:37 am
That is AMAZING! Seriously amazing. March to October? 26.2? Speechless. By the way, thank you so much for adding me to your blogroll. I appreciate it and am enjoying checking in with your blog too!
I liked this blog and do not think I did anything brave this year, but I have to tell you that I totally stare at people too. It’s kinda of comforting to know that being a wierdo might be a thing! love you cuz
I ment to say “a family thing”….perhap my goal for next year should be to proof read stuff before I post it.