21 Things You May Not Know about Me

Have you seen this going around Facebook? People are posting numbered lists of little-known things about themselves. These have been nice to read, giving me insight into my friends' lives without being too personal. I started constructing my own list because I thought that this was a wonderful writing prompt. Then, I finally got somebody to give me a number: 21. (Note: This is the highest number I have seen yet -- most have been around 10 or under -- but I was open and willing to the challenge.) Here is my list. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

1. My given name is Margaret, after my paternal grandmother (who didn’t even go by that name – she was called Evelyn, which was actually her middle name). So, if I look at you strangely when you call me MEGAN, this is why. It’s not my name!
   
2. When I was a baby, my hair was red. It later fell out, came back in blond, and then gradually grew darker.
3. I bit my nails for 20-odd years. One of my earliest memories is of my mom telling me to stop biting my nails, so I tried to hide in another room in order to bite them in peace.
4. All of my life, people have called me “skinny.” (Sometimes, with the b-word tagged on the end.) Even when they said this as if it was a compliment, I knew they didn’t mean it that way, so I hate this word!
5. Sometimes my birthday falls on Mother’s Day. Growing up, my mom was nice enough to let me be the star of the day whenever this happened, but now that I’m the mom, I want 2 separate days for myself -- NOT one conglomeration day!
   
6. When I was 16, I met a palm reader on Pennsylvania Ave. She told me that I would marry a man with dark hair and blue eyes (true!), have 2 kids – one of each (true!), and that I would work for a magazine (if everything works out for me, this will eventually be true!)
7. I began college as an art major before switching to elementary education because it seemed more “practical.” For some reason, I was concerned about “starving” and I thought teaching was a safer alternative! Also, I didn’t smell like patchouli, which seemed to be some sort of art major requirement that nobody had informed me about. Yuck! (Although, I sometimes wish I had stuck with art.)
   
8. I went on fifty (50!) job interviews before I got a teaching position (and this was after going back and getting my master’s degree in special education). In retrospect, that should have clued me in to the fact that I was not cut out for it.
9. I thought that losing my teaching job was the worst thing that would ever happen to me, but when my water broke a few days after the end of that school year (3 MONTHS before Logan’s due date!), I gained some perspective on what is most important in life… 7 weeks in the hospital can do that to a person.
10. I never intended to be a stay-at-home mom. EVER. Now, I realize that this is the biggest blessing that I could have been handed.
    
11. I got engaged during Super Bowl XXXIV, in my parents’ living room, right after Faith Hill had finished singing the National Anthem.
12. I like to see new places, but I am a terrible traveler. (I am sure Brett can tell you about how hard I squeezed his hand on the return flight from Puerto Rico.)
13. Despite my hating to fly, I have a strange affinity for winged things, and I have always loved birds, butterflies, and angels. Maybe I wish I could be more like them, but I am much too nervous to be that free.
    
14. I am REALLY competitive. I know, I know, I fooled you all into thinking I was nice and complacent. The truth is that Brett will no longer play air hockey with me because I will hurt myself and anybody who gets in the way of my winning!
15. My guilty pleasure? Watching Toddlers & Tiaras. It convinces me that I am, in fact, an awesome mom, even if I don’t feel like it at the time!
16. I still sleep with a nightlight.
17. I LOVE color! In fact, whenever someone asks me my favorite color, I think this is a silly question. Choosing a favorite color would be like choosing a favorite child. (If you don’t believe me, visit my house, and you will see ALL the colors of the rainbow.)
    
18. I HATE bananas! Everything about them. The color, the taste, the smell, the texture. Being a mom has helped to desensitize me somewhat. I am now able to handle a banana and NOT immediately wash my hands afterward.
19. I have a strong belief that I can make just about anything, and most of the time, I am right. I only wish that this self-assurance would transfer to other areas of my life. (Successes that come to mind include the watermelon shark, the rainbow pinata, and the Lightning McQueen Halloween costume. One failure -- and believe me, I have them-- was trying to make homemade lip balm!)
    
20. Despite what some people seem to think, I am not Super Mom! For example, I cannot sew, knit, or grow things. Well, okay, I found a rather interesting mold specimen growing in my fridge just the other day, but I doubt that counts since I wasn’t intentionally trying to propagate it.
21. I have not used shampoo in over 2 years. I make most of my own beauty products. (See # 19) Some examples include: facial cleanser, face oil, eye makeup remover, shaving cream, non-petroleum jelly, and face masks.

Here is a recent photo so you can see the face behind all this wonderful insight (or nuttiness, however you happen to view the stuff I just shared). Note: I have a new bird necklace that makes me very happy!

{Here I am! Thanks for reading.}