A Narcissistic Post

My last entry was number 100. I suppose that I should have paid attention and maybe done this there.

Sometimes I wonder how many people are out there who are like me. Only two or three people look at my blog so it is hardly the place to find out. Nonetheless,it makes me think about what I think are my defining characteristics. Katie occasionally puts up a list of assorted things about herself. Is it useful? Is it an exercise in narcissism? I don’t know. It is why people design and repeat memes. So, with those useless ruminations I am going to embark on a list of what I think are defining characteristics about me, numbered but in no particular order:

1. I’m smart. My IQ was measured at about 160 when I was a child. I assume that it hasn’t changed. Though one never knows.

2. I’m dyslexic. I attribute to that my poor spelling, inability to tell left from right, inability to memorize, and poor organizational skills.

3. I’m creative. I’m a creative cook, have an arty side, like to doodle and draw and create things from beads, clay, whatever. Unfortunately I have little time for that.

4. I’m devoted to and like my job, and it was what I wanted to do since childhood, a Genetics Professor and researcher and a teaching oriented University. I like science in general, biology more specifically. I view the whole world through my scientist eyes.

5. Unfortunately I am a procrastinator and a slow grader.

6. I’m unusually strong. I do not need to work out to keep my unusual muscles, though I like to work out.

7. I’m fat. I have fought with my weight since puberty. Before puberty I was scrawny.

8. I love music, a lot of music, though I tend to dislike pop and country and the classical impressionists like Ravel. I like Beethoven, Bach, Poulanc, Shostakovich, Dvorak, Schubert, Beatles, Led Zeppelen, Stones, REM, Radiohead, the Talking Heads, the Ramones, Reggae, blues, jazz, some rap and reggaeton…. you get the idea. I like my music darker and harder, less sweet and fluffy.

9. I like fantasy and science fiction in book and film.

10. I am interested in politics.

11. I like my steaks very very rare.

12. I am handy with tools and equipment.

13. I have never been in a lasting romantic relationship. In fact, my longest relationship was almost 30 years ago and it lasted 3 months. I find the opposite sex quite attractive in general, and I liked sex in the distant past when I actually had some, but I guess trying to find someone is way low on my priority list.

14. I painted my office a deep winy purple. I like it.

15. I think greed is one of the greatest evils of our age.

16. I like to garden.

17. I’m pretty lazy at times.

18. I dislike heat.

19. I don’t wear pastel colors.

20. I think valuing things based on the label and the price is very silly. As a result I really don’t pay attention to labels. I see women exclaiming over a purse or shoes. I look, they rarely look practical or aesthetically pleasing, so I don’t understand the fuss. Turns out, they are expensive, have a name attached that informs people of their expensiveness. Those people who judge by shoes and clothes… well, they won’t think highly of me.

21. And yet. I am picky about clothes, shoes etc. I have to LIKE them, they need to please me in cut and color and comfort. They gain desirability to me if they are inexpensive as well.

22. I really, really wish I were a better housekeeper.

23. I have too many cats. Anybody want one?

24. I have a healthy ego.

25. I have no phobias.

26. I rarely get sick.

27. I dislike the vast majority of junk food and fast food.

28. I have little interest in sports. Curling kind of fascinated me a couple of Winter Olympics ago though.

29. I think snow is beautiful.

30. I like having four seasons.

31. I was born in California but have something of a distaste for the state now.

32. I think that more people, ideally almost all people, should be able to think critically and have the ability to tell what is substantiated from what isn’t.

33. I am not good with handling money. Some of that may come from the fact that I don’t truly care if I have money or not. I have survived on very little (10K a year living in Manhattan) and it’s quite doable, and not terribly oppressive. 5 years ago I lived in Cambridge England for 5 months on almost nothing. I rented a room in a house by the week. I rode an old bike to get around. I had possessions to fill two suitcases. I was very happy.

34. I am not frightened by the future.

35. I will take off by myself on 9 hour drives, or travel overseas without concern.

36. I like to drive.

37. I can drive through the entire night without a problem.

38. I have some trouble driving entirely through the day, particularly if it is sunny and warm, I get sleepy.

39. As I have little interest in sports, never had kids or a long term relationship I can be very uncomfortable in social situations with adults my age. Everyone talks a lot about sports, their kids, and spouses. I find it difficult to project the appearance of interest and involvement in these conversations.

40. I like to wear black.

41. I like rich spicy scents, sandalwood, patchouli, roses, peonies, nicotiana, cinnamon, wood fires.

42. I seem to be able to get older babies and toddlers to stop crying by catching their eyes and holding hard to their gaze. Stare hard, they shut up. I don’t know why.

43. Generally I don’t like gold or diamonds, except for ornamentation as in gold leaf, and giant diamonds in museums. Huge diamonds hold the light in an interesting way, mesmerizing.

44. I am almost always wide awake at midnight.

45. I like red wine. I know a glass a day is probably good for you, but I often am busy or forget. Once in a while I will have two or three glasses. That is not probably what the studies showed benefits from.

46. I wish I could figure out a way to easily stop doing one thing and start another. I tend to do whatever I’m doing for long periods of time. Other things don’t happen.

47. I think about everything.

48. I love to debate or take a contrary stance just to think about all sides of something. My family as a whole does that all the time. There is no emotional weight attached to it.

49. I am not a very emotional person, I am rarely sad, anxious, blissful, giddy, angry, furious, or depressed.

50. I like to dance, even all by myself.

Fifty is good.