Seven questions to ask when you're not sure who you're becoming.

This was originally posted on unicorns for socialism and I think it's a brilliant way to start the new year. Everybody should ask themselves these questions every once in a while. Here are my honest answers. What about you?

1. What am I freakishly good at?

I am freakishly good at reading people and subtext. I can single out a pretty or interesting thing in a world of ugly. I am good at waiting and practicing patience. I am good at listening.

2. What do I geek out about? 

I geek out about basically anything to do with languages and linguistics. If I had to choose between four videos called "sex" "celebrity gossip and fashion" "the craziest sports injuries ever" or "the history of English pronouns" guess what I'd pick. hahaha

I am starting to understand the draw to web design and other kind of abstract aesthetic arts, but I'm not quite there yet. 

3. If I was a horrifically superficial and shallow person, what would I really want? 

To have an awesome library that has a suit of armor in it or something. To be pretty and have shoulder length hair and know how to style it all the ways. To not need glasses but have a few pairs just in case I felt like wearing them. To have a beautiful and sophisticated business lady-ish wardrobe with lots of blazers and cool blouses and trousers and stuff.  To live in a large-ish house somewhere near a city center but still on a quiet street with a pretty view. To have as many pets as I want and someone who will clean the litter box and cat puke and acutally do all my housework because doing laundry is so boring.

4. What do I want to be known for? 

I want to be known as being reliable and responsible, undramatic and level-headed. I want to be known as a smart person. I want to be an integral part of a powerful team.

5. If I had a full year off and a stipend of {insert 'How dare you?!' amount of money here}, how would I spend it? 

I would travel and force Ryan to come with me. I mean it. We would go to places that are 'on my list', you know, everyone has an 'i want to go there' list. I would also go to unexpected places, and places we hardly know exist.  I would bring a few of my favorite cameras, lots of film, and take thousands of photos. I would get tattooed by my favorite tattooers all over the world too and buy Ryan tattoos too if he wanted. We would stay in hotels, hostels and tents, and eat in restaurants and with street vendors ... a mix of everything.


6. What's going to be carved on my hypothetical tombstone? 

"Live your life for love and happiness", or something like that. 


7. If my parents/my grandma/whoever holds my sense of personal propriety in check was GONE and there was noone to offend, upset or disappoint, who would I become?

A writer. I mean, like, maybe a horror story writer or I'd try writing about drugs or sex or violence or something like that. I'm very very very conscious of people I know reading everything I write and it keeps stopping me from getting anywhere.