I got tagged for this meme by Chris Carfi of The Social Customer Manifesto. It was interesting reading Chris’s 5 things and following some of his links. I also came across The Blog Tag Tree which traces a bit of this meme’s geneology. Though – I first saw it a year ago or maybe longer, on LiveJournal.
“Write down five things about yourself that others probably don’t know, and pass it on.”
I lived in a 100-person co-op house (21st St. Co-op in Austin) for 5 years, and at different times held the positions of menu planner, dinner cook, dessert cook, and “cookie monster”. From this, I know how to cook a fancy meal for 200 people and how to boss a crew of helpers, as well as how to go to endless community meetings. I can move my littlest toe on each foot independently of the other toes. Try it! From age 14 to 17 I worked in a dry cleaners in Houston, way out near Tomball. Conditions were disgusting and inhumane. Don’t buy dry-clean-only clothes, if you can help it. I played 5 bells in a handbell choir in a church in Allen Park, Michigan, when I was a little kid. The bells were huge and shiny, and had special fancy cases lined with velvet; we wore white gloves. In regular choir I sang alto and sometimes tenor. It was a good choir, and I liked wearing the robes. Once I got to be a ceremonial candle-snuffer, which was fun even though I was an ardent atheist. Secretly I often like to pretend I’m someone else who has switched bodies with me. Usually they’re people from books I’ve just read – either fictional characters or people from history. What would they be thinking? How would they react to being in my body, doing whatever I’m doing? And what would I do if I were in their body and time? Now you know. You might be talking with Genghis Khan, Ayla, Ataturk, the Continental Op, or Laura Ingalls.
Tag, you’re it:
* Ellen Moody from Ellen and Jim Have a Blog, Too
* Vim from Screamything
* Minnie from Screamything
* Gabby De Cicco from Pont des Arts
* Prentiss Riddle from Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada
Hola Liz, ya la respondí!!!
Besos, Gabby
I heart the idea of this! Here are five of mine:
1. I don’t know how to whistle.
2. The color red frightens me.
3. I never wanted to be anybody but myself.
4. I am obsessed with avocados.
5. If I had one million dollars, I would give it all away, just for one more day with her, like it used to be in the beginning.
I live in the woods.
When I say woods I mean vines and overgrowth.
Even the trees are all dead.
I called a company.
They drove up in a big truck.
On the truck were big cutting machines.
They looked at the mess.
I heard them laughing to one another.
They rang my doorbell.
And gave me an estimate.
To make my property look nice.
A few weeks passed.
There was a knock on my door.
It was a man named Humberto.
He was looking for work.
He didn’t have a truck.
He didn’t have big machines.
And had walked to my house.
Humberto had a big family.
And he had very kind eyes.
I offered him the job.
He cleaned up my woods.
For weeks he worked.
And came over every day.
He was always on time.
I made him sandwiches and lemonade.
Sometimes I would watch him work.
Other times I would help him.
Every time I paid Humberto he said Thank You.
He worked so hard.
My property looked beautiful.
Thanks to him.
On the last day, I ran to the bank.
I gave Humberto twice what we agreed on.
He needed the money more than me.
Later that month, he knocked on my door.
This time he drove.
He had bought a van.
With the money I gave him.
So he could drive his children to school.
He even bought them new clothes.
They all looked so happy.
He said thank you again.
He offered to do more work for free.
I told him to do something else instead.
To give someone else something more then you are asking them to give you.
I am glad I didn’t offer the job to the company.
Humberto worked harder.
And I like to think it changed his life.
For the better.
When I watch television, sometimes I will see men on the television call a famous person a hero.
I disagree.
And think of Humberto.
He is the real hero….
I would “Share the Magic” by offering the laptops to Humberto’s children for school.