Seven Random Things about ME.

A certain someone that plays the banjo and has a blog asked me, tagged me, to write today about seven random things about myself. So here I go.

1. I faint very easily.

I've had cardiac workups since I was in my early 20's to try to isolate it, but its actually a couple of common things: low heart rate, low blood pressure, and a heart that occasionally skips a beat. Most people don't have all of those things at once, so they don't faint, but I do. My favorite fainting story was when I got up to get a glass of water and "woke up" with my head on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator - a complete gallon of water spilled all over me and the floor.

2. I love to learn new languages.

I speak only English fluently and I am still reasonably decent in French, but I have some working knowledge or have studied to some point: Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Amharic, and my current obsession: Swahili and Luo.*

3. My parents are both Episcopal priests.
Which is most interesting to me because my grandfather was Jewish and his parents were killed in the holocaust. Makes for a comparative-religion kind of family. I liken growing up in the church to being like a politician's child - with the same kind of pressure to perform and be as perfect as possible. And the same requirement of sharing your life with people that you may or may not know or care about.

*Now that you know my grandfather was German and Jewish, it will make more sense why I love languages. He tried to teach me Hebrew and German as a child during my vacations at their house, but it didn't stick. He spoke 15 languages.

4. I love to work in clay, but hate the feeling of dried clay on my hands.

So when I'm working on a project, I become even more of an OCD obsessive hand-washer than I normally am.

5. I watch movies over and over again. Even if I only like them a little.
Seriously, I can watch the same movie 3 or 4 times in the same day. I look for little pieces of dialogue that I've missed, and I love to watch the special features and then rewatch the movie with the director's vision in mind.

6. I keep alot of secrets from people. I am obsessed with my privacy.
Probably related to that growing up in front of hoards of well-meaning, but often crazy, parishioners. I don't like to be the center of attention and suffer from extreme stage-fright. I can even be going along just fine in a meeting or at a party and if the focus turns to be on me to suddenly, I freeze and panic.

7. I never forward chain letters.
Which is weird because I am very superstitious, but I don't like to bother people, so I'd rather just absorb the bad luck! Sorry this list is going to end with me!