Honestly!

Myrthe, at The Armenian Odar Reads, honored me with this award, presented to bloggers who “are honest and speak their minds in a thoughtful manner.” This one comes with an assignment – you are to list 10 honest things about yourself. We are encouraged to “have some fun with this,” meaning, I suppose, to be candid, but also good humored.

In an attempt to get my writing mind back in gear after three days in Las Vegas (more about that will be forthcoming), here are 10 honest things about me:

I say “yes” without thinking much too often, which gets me in trouble time and again, in every kind of situation you could imagine. Plus, I generally tend to act without thinking things through “logically” (as my husband would advise), which causes me to do things I often regret;
I’m extremely claustrophobic. I have trouble quelling panic attacks in traffic jams, I need to sit in an aisle seat in auditoriums and on airplanes. I break out in a cold sweat when I see an MRI machine on some medical show – if I ever have to undergo one of those tests, I’ll need anesthesia;
I don’t like hate big cities~ don’t care to visit, and would never live in one;
I’m impatient, which is a natural correlative to #1 (or maybe it’s the other way ’round);
I drive too fast – always have, and always will. It’s my one minor rebellion against “the establishment” (as we old hippies once referred to all restrictions imposed by a governing body). And yes, I know it’s dangerous;
Aside from my children, my husband, and my mother, there’s no one I’d rather spend time with than my dogs;
I would rather be home than anywhere in the world. I like to visit other places, but being home definitely trumps traveling every time;
I look for the good in people, which sometimes makes me gullible;
Because I’m a good listener, empathetic, and non-judgemental, I often take on the role of confidante for friends and co-workers. Conversely, I’m rather private about my own feelings, and rarely confide personal matters to anyone but my very closest friends and family (and you). Which leads directly to the final “honest thing…”
I keep feelings bottled up inside, and sometimes suffer emotional and physical consequences.

Part II of the award assignment consists of passing this award along to other bloggers whose honesty and thoughtful expression in writing have impressed me. Among my regular reads, here are five writers whom I find particularly skilled at “speaking their minds in an honest and thoughtful manner”:

Take a few minutes and go meet them – honestly, you’ll be glad you did.

6 thoughts on “Honestly!”

Really Becca? I’d think it hard to tell that I write given my blog is mostly photos. I’ll have to work a bit on getting this one done. Can’t say we have a whole lot in common…maybe the speeding 🙂

Thanks Becca. We have a lot in common. I’m a homebody too, and a bit claustrophobic. The secret to getting an MRI is to close your eyes before you go in the tube, and never, ever open them once you’re in. Then you daydream – fantasize – about beautiful places, painting the kitchen, walking the dogs….anything, but never open your eyes.

Thank you for the award, Becca. You know I love your blog.

Once again, I recognize much of myself in your post (someday I really will learn how to say no). This was fun to read, an award I look forward to passing along. Thanks so much!

Becca, thanks so much for your post. Being a good listener earns you lots of points in my book. There are not many people who can actually listen. And I don’t necessarily mean listen to someone else’s problems, but in general: listen and hear what someone really says instead of hearing what you think the other is saying. I am trying to be a better listener, but I don’t always manage.

Like you, I tend not to talk much about my feelings, so when I do have an outburst that tends to come as a surprise. Though for people who know me well or who are good at observing and picking up non-verbal clues, I am much more of an open book.

Now I am off to visit the blogs you nominated.