25 Random Things About Me

Lately there's been a wave of "25 things about me" posts going around Facebook. The idea is that you post 25 things about yourself and then invite 25 people to do the same. Of course Hidden Blog tops the list! So here are the others:

2. You can learn more about me through the "About Me" section to the lower left of this site, things I won't repeat here.

3. I tend to do things "all out" - I used to be a 20% church tither and spent 250 hours a year in service there, not including a brief seminary stint. Discovering my more natural calling, that time is now devoted to Leadership McLean County (not the money, though I do habitually tip at least 30% no matter how good the service).

4. What's Leadership McLean County? Its mission is to identify and develop future leaders. Which is good, because I could sure use more development... A limited number of applicants get in, earning personal tours of wind farms, government offices, principals' offices, hospital CEO panels, social service agencies, etc.

5. What do I do with LMC? Sort of the homeroom teacher. Lots of other talented people coordinate the speakers. I say hi, bye, take attendance at each of the 13 sessions, collect homework assignments, do ice breakers and generally try to make sure people have a good time.

6. I love to write, and so love to e-mail. I sent 900 of them via LMC last year. As a kid I had a poem published nationally.

7. On a related note, I think I was "born to teach." I love public speaking, planning, organizing, using analogies, and the challenge of putting things in simple terms.

8. Of course, teaching requires that you actually know something. In my case, that would be math, and two of my greatest hobbies - sports and leadership. I coached a year of middle school basketball at the YMCA in hopes of using the natural gifts to be something of a positive male role model for kids who might not have them.

9. One of my "wasted" gifts is music. I have written, directed, played and recorded original songs (one for my grandmother's 90th birthday)... sung in a wedding... and I play Beatles' song chords on the electric/acoustic guitar almost every day. But I have no desire to learn to read music, and my main inspiration for music is the thought of leading an audience in some kind of rocking fashion. I have this persistent sense that I'm destined to play in some kind of amateurish group someday.

10. I consider myself a recovering pessimist due to a streak of selfishness and impatience. Fortunately, my highest-ranking strength based on the trendy Marcus Buckingham "Now Discover Your Strengths" survey is "positivity."

11. Ignoring my bachelor party when I scored 40, my highest scoring basketball game was 19 in a summer league game, 17 in the State Farm league, and 15 in high school.

12. One of my fondest memories was being announced as a varsity starter on the hoops team in senior year, under the spotlight and all - after being at the end of the freshman "B" team's bench years before. It was the first time that I truly pulled myself up by my bootstraps through sheer hard work.

13. My high school foreign language was Spanish. I'm more fluent than the average American who took high school Spanish, which did little for me the only time I ever visited Mexico for 1993 spring break.

14. I'd describe myself as an introvert, but I loved living in college dorms, and the closeness of condo neighbors.

15. My most important value is freedom. I have almost no interest in the responsibilities of home ownership, or raising living things like lawns, pets or kids. I enjoy building memories (gotta blog something!), but not a legacy.

16. I've written, directed, and acted in skits, videos, and radio commercials. I am currently the "answering machine voice" of Mid Central Community Action - (309) 829-0691. I was briefly a T.V. sideline reporter for local high school football.

17. With a few notable exceptions, my relationships with people are fleeting. Until Facebook, I hadn't been in touch with anyone from grade school or high school since graduation. The only thing that puts me in touch with college friends is that we live in the same town and occasionally cross paths.

18. Little cars are for me. Good gas mileage, and you can park them anywhere. I thought I'd be in a "50 Year Customer" commercial for Saturn, celebrating an American record for consecutive years with the same model of car... but now they've discontinued the SL1.

19. I used to keep track of every penny, kept every receipt, logged the amount of gas and gallons I bought at each fill-up so I could track the miles per gallon. Now I'm completely the opposite, I don't even balance my checkbook. Like I said, freedom.

20. My father and both grandfathers died by the age of 70. I'll be retiring as young as I possibly can!

21. I'm pretty comfortable in my masculinity - enough to enjoy yoga, Swedish massage, and pedicures.

22. They say younger generations are more fickle, but at 15 years this May I'll have worked for one employer longer than either of my parents.

23. The sound that thrills me most is a cheering crowd. I enjoy being the center of attention, but the only time I ran a half marathon was up and down the empty streets of my neighborhood.

24. Things I've dreamed of but not done - yet - include writing a book (got an idea, just haven't started typing) and doing stand-up comedy.

25. I voted for Obama, but I avoid labels as much as I can so as to be in harmony with as many people as possible. I don't belong to a political party or religion, nor do I think of myself as Illinoisan, Caucasian, or American so much as human.