If You Knew Me....

Yesterday, while doing my normal rounds on my most favorite blogs, I stumbled upon a blog post that I really, really enjoyed.  I enjoyed it so much that I've now decided to do the same kind of post right here.  And no one has to really know me that well to guess where I got the blog post idea from...that would be Draz.  I get a lot of my blogging ideas from her because she's just so darn good at it.

I have to rush off this morning for a meeting with my principal, so before I go, here's my version of "If you knew me..."

If you knew me, you'd know that I was born in London, England, lived there until I was twelve, would love to go back and visit one day, but have absolutely no urge whatsoever to ever go back there to live.  I love my home here in America, and wouldn't trade it in for anything.

If you knew me you'd know that I no longer have my English accent because I forced myself to lose it when I was in high school because I hated the attention it caused.  I hated people making fun of me or badly imitating me or asking me if I wanted a "spot of tea". 

If you knew me you'd know that I regret making myself lose the accent because now I love attention, and I think having the accent would have made me more marketable when trying to get a teaching job.  And I think my kids would have really liked it.  They love hearing my parents and siblings talk. 

If you knew me you'd know that I absolutely hate beets - but have never put a single beet in to my mouth.  There's something about the color and texture of that nasty vegetable that makes my stomach curl just looking at it.

If you knew me you'd know I also hate spinach, but only the kind that comes in a can.  My mom loves the stuff, and I always thought it looked like something blown out on a tissue from your nose. 

If you knew me you'd know that I absolutely LOVE Abba.  And that's because when I was younger and would visit my grandpa, the only "pop" music he owned was all of the Abba records.  He was a classical music fan, and that's all he ever listened to - except when I was there.  Then he'd play the Abba records and I would sing and dance the songs as if I were performing on stage. 

If you knew me you'd know that there are still certain Abba songs that I listen to that cause a lump to appear in my throat because of the memories the songs give me.  I loved my grandpa very much, and lost him in 2001 to a long fought battle with Parkinson's Disease. 

If you knew me you'd know that my favorite colors are pink and purple, but they haven't always been.  Back when I was a tom-boy and disliked anything "girly", my favorite color was blue.  Since facing my inner demons with my weight, I have a new girly outlook on life and now love anything that's pink or purple. 

If you knew me you'd know that the only thing I was ever afraid of as a child was spiders.  But, after giving birth to my first child, I automatically developed the longest list of fears which now include fair rides, riding in a car not wearing a seat belt, any insect that jumps or crawls or moves in general, and heights.  And my biggest fears are now the thought of dying before all of my kids are grown or one of my kids passing away before me. 

If you knew me you'd know that I don't like country music at all, but for some unknown reason know the words to lots and lots and lots of country music songs.  I've never listened to country - yet popular songs from Tim McGraw, Shania Twain, Reba McIntyre and Garth Brooks have made themselves known in my vast repertoire of music I can sing along to.

If you knew me you'd know that I can sing, pretty well.  I don't do too well singing in public, although I love to karaoke, but when I'm in front of my family I can belt out a tune - and sound pretty darn good.  My mother has tried on more than one occasion to get me to try out for shows like American Idol and America's Got Talent.  That will never happen... but it's nice to know that she thinks I'm good enough.

If you knew me you'd know that I am very opinionated, outgoing, and not afraid to speak my mind.  Those same qualities, that I love about myself, also tend to turn people off from really getting to know me or liking me.  I have been referred to as a bulldog, a pitball, and overbearing.  All those things may be true - but after the life I've had, I refuse to change for anyone. 

If you knew me you'd know that only ten years ago I was shy, quiet, and would never say what was on my mind - from fear of being hit.  I turned my back on my family, I isolated myself from everyone and everything I loved, and I became a drone to a man's control.  It is that reason, and that reason only, that makes me the loud, proud, overbearing, sometimes annoying, not scared to say exactly what's on my mind woman that I am today.  No one will ever take my voice or independence away from me ever again.

If you knew me you'd know that I've been really looking forward to the meeting I'm having with my new principal this morning, and so I really have to get off of my computer and get ready to go.  I could go on with this post all day... but I can't.  So, hopefully some of you will do a post like this and share with me - so that I can learn some things about you.

Till next time.  ;)

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter