10 Random Things Exposed

I have been tagged by my good friend Katy to tell 10 random things about myself. She tagged me a couple of days ago and I sort of struggled with what to write. 95% of my posts are ramblings off the top of my head. Even though I've written so much and so personally I realized that I was over thinking this. So, here we go right from the top of my head without much censoring or any deep thought.

1. I always knew that I would go to graduate school but somehow an MBA didn't seem to fit. When I'd look at job postings the jobs that interested me required something called a MS in Instructional Technology. Well, I surmised that's why all the positions where open, nobody had ever heard of that. One day I talked to one of my mentors, a VP from my undergrad college and he was rattling through some information and said something about his PhD in Instructional Technology. What....!?! I asked him exactly what it was, I went to the library that night and within five days applied to graduate school for Instructional Technology. I was working full time as a telecommunication project manager, but I went to graduate school full-time and finished in two years. The drive was 45 miles one-way and I had to pay three tolls each way. It was the most insane way to get through school. I don't recommend it.

2. I'm proud of the friendships that I've maintained over the years. I'm still great friends with the girl who lived across the street from me. We've known each other our entire 42 years of life (She would want me to tell you that she won't be 42 for a couple of months). I talk weekly to a friend from high school I've now known 28 years. I'm still close to my sorority pledge mother that I met living in the dorm 24 years ago. I moved to Illinois 18 years ago and many people that I met that year are still important figures in my life.

3. I have an absolute and pure love for children and have worked in and developed many youth programs over 25 years. But, it all started very strangely as I would be in public and stranger's children would cling to my leg. At church children I didn't know would leave their parents to sit next to me. And then there was a little girl that I met when she was 18 months old. As I was leaving she got her coat and threw a fit until she was allowed to leave with me (a perfect stranger). I spent some quality time with this little girl but then I didn't see her again for 2 years. This time when I saw her she said, "I know you you came to get me." She ran and got her coat and sat by the front door until it was time for me to leave. I took her with me and I was amazed that she recounted stories from 2 years before. She told me what she remembered about me and the things that I had done with her. I was blown away by that. After a couple of days with me, I drove her home, this little girl told me in no uncertain terms that she did not want to go into "that" house. She looked at me with three year old eyes and said, "I have an idea, you be the momma and I be the little girl!" It's a long story but I was never the same after that experience and I've always looked at children, their capacity to remember, and their ability to understand in a much deeper way.

3. I'm short. At barely five feet tall it seems to be a problem for other people, but it's never been an issue for me. I always hated the song "short people" but other than that you never see me without heels. If you see me walking around Addis with heels it's not because of a complex, I have flat feet and heels just feel much more comfortable.

4. I have long hair. Early in my career I had managers that suggested I cut it because the length was not professional. I didn't do it and usually wear it in a bun the first time I meet people professionally. I don't cut it because I have some fascination with long hair but because I cut my hair off to the nub many years ago and found short hair is too much work. I was having to get parts shaved every week and oooooh I didn't know you had to curl all those little pieces. It just wasn't for me. I'm too lazy for that.

5. I love books and always have. When I read, I usually have to read 3-4 books at the same time. Not sure why, but I've been that way since I was a little girl. Before wheely luggage and backpacks I would go to the library with a brown grocery bag and load it with as many books as they allowed you to check out.

6. I believe that the internet was created specifically for me! While I still like the feel of books, I love the ability to research any and every subject without getting dressed.

7. I was always more comfortable with male managers. I've never been a girly girl in approach or emotion. Don't kill me, but I prefer the dispassionate, matter-of-fact, brass tacks approach of my men managers. I don't want to talk about my feelings about an assignment or why I was chosen, I just want to know the goal and how long I have to do it.

8. The most important thing that I've learned through this adoption process is that the God that heard about in church all of my life is bigger and more divine than I could have imagined. I've learned that he is BIG and it is the world that is small. That has been my revelation.

9. My best friend and I call each other sometimes 10 times a day. Some of the conversations are long but most of the time it is to LAUGH at something utterly silly. We laugh a lot!

10. I think Dish satellite is one of the best inventions. I can rewind a show to hear a great line over and over. I can stop a show and answer the phone. I can tape one show and watch another. But, when I first got it and got use to the rewind function, I'd be sitting in a meeting and have the same urge to rewind a comment or put a person on pause and walk away. It would be great to have this function with friends and family.

Okay, that's about as random as things come. Thanks for the tag Katy! I just saw that Tami tagged me too. How'd I do? I looked at yours and mine seems too long.

I forgot that I'm suppose to tag someone. Chevela, tag you are it!