Saturday, November 15, 2008

The Tag Game

Thank you to everyone who "tagged" me. I know you meant well. At the left on my blog page is my blog list which I believe at last count was seven. The rules of this little game say that you tag seven friends, post the rules, then state seven weird or random things about yourself. I think almost everyone on my list has already been included in this so I'm not going to "tag" you again, nor am I going to post the rules again. Quid said we didn't have to . . .

I did come up with seven things and added one more. These are not weird but I guess they are random. I am, as usual, too wordy. I don't like to talk about myself and look forward to writing about things that I hope are more interesting.

1. I’m a family man. My wife and three children bring me more joy than I have ever deserved. Having a family trumps most everything I have ever experienced.

2. The longer I live, the less I like and am comfortable with the liberal and conservative labels, both politically and socially. I know that, by common definitions, I am conservative. Like one of my other blogger friends, I am anti-death penalty but pro-gun. I am pro-life. I believe in the capitalist system but I am totally frustrated and disenchanted by the current state of healthcare in the this country and although I think I oppose universal health insurance and am skeptical of anything run by the government, I know that is easy for me to say because I have not been without health insurance. I still have not decided if health care is a privilege or a right. I have a fundamental problem with the recently passed financial rescue legislation but I work for a bank that will likely benefit from it. So is all of this conservative or liberal?

I am part of a church that would be known as both conservative and evangelical as those terms are commonly defined today. Again, though, I don’t like the labels. I believe Jesus is very inclusive, not exclusive. I love the creeds, worship, liturgy and music in many of the traditional Christian churches. I do not believe any particular brand of Christianity has it all right and I am immediately put off by any faction that teaches or implies that it does.

3. I am extremely soft-hearted, probably to a fault. I do not like conflict but I am also very stubborn and will (obnoxiously at times) resolutely argue about something if I am impassioned about the subject matter. My wife would confirm this and would add that I will resolutely argue even when I know I am wrong.

I have tried to channel the soft-heartedness into good things and several years ago began volunteering at, and eventually went on the Board of Directors of, a local homeless shelter and life recovery center. I am totally in awe of both the staff who work there and the clientele who work so hard to change their lives.

4. I love music of many types – Classical, Modern, Rock and Roll, Jazz and Country. I play the piano – started taking piano lessons when I started school. I also love to sing. I sang in choirs from an early age until moving to Tennessee in 1997. I also sang in small ensembles and an occasional solo in my former church in Arkansas. The music in my current church is very contemporary and hard for me to follow, so I don’t do any up front singing anymore.

5. I love to read and write. My reading preferences are as varied as my musical ones. I have read a lot of sports books this year for no other reason than friends have passed them on or recommended them to me. My five all-time favorite books are listed on my blog profile. I do not care much for fantasy or science fiction.

I love the whole blogging thing because it gives me an outlet to write and there are about a half dozen folks who are kind enough to read what I write and give me their feedback. Most of these people I have never personally met, yet I have come to think of them as friends. My friend Kelly introduced me to blogging. She and I have known each other our entire lives and, until she married, had the same last name but are not related.

I have been saying for years that I think I have a novel in me but it has not yet been birthed.

6. I majored in Journalism in college and wrote for my college newspaper. I went to law school right out of college. If I had it to do over again, I would have taken some time between undergrad and law school. That is what I advise young people – who ask – to do unless they are extremely passionate about the profession or graduate study they believe they want to pursue. For me, although it has all worked out fine, I was not very mature when I graduated from college. A year or two doing something else – maybe working for a newspaper or maybe just doing a low skills job – would have done me a world of good, helped me to mature and maybe helped me avoid a great deal of second guessing myself.

7. The best job I ever had in my life was during the summers of 1980 and ’81 when I worked in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Those were the summers after my senior year of college and first year of law school, respectively. This is where I became totally hooked on the great outdoors.

8. This is one extra but I have to add that I am huge sports fan, especially Major League Baseball and College Football. I'm also a big high school football fan, especially since Younger Son currently plays on the O-line and his team is in the state playoffs.

11 comments:

quid said...

Loved your post and I'm a big fan of you choosing 7 normal things instead of 7 weird things. You're a maverick, Bob!

quid

Redlefty said...

Maybe you don't like writing about yourself but I sure enjoyed reading it!

Any piano tips for an adult beginner? :)

What would your novel be about?

Kelly said...

I can think of two more fact about you, Bob.

One... in addition to what you already shared about our relationship, we also had the same leg disease as a child and wore similar leg braces.

Two... you have a great sense of humor which you have displayed in many of your annual Christmas letters. The touching ones are nice, but here's hoping for a funny one this year!

Bob said...

Michael, adult or child, I guess it's still the same -- practice. Tough thing is you probably don't have as much time for it as an adult. Good for you, though.

Not sure what a novel by me would be about -- maybe international espionage, maybe a legal or medical thriller. It is probably years away. No, it is definitely years away.

Kelly, definitely a humorous letter this year. Thanks for your kind words.

Redlefty said...

Perthes? Polio?

My dad had perthes as a child.

Hal Johnson said...

Maybe those weren't weird, but they were sure interesting, Bob.

I love passing on those tags, I must admit. They give me a chance to indulge my nosy side without being too overt about it.

Now, if the other Bob, the IABFNY Bob that is, would give off his duff and play along, my mission would be nearly complete.

Pam said...

Bob, I didn't realize you and Kelly both had Pert-hes. How strange.

I remember how Kelly stole my wedding as she was my flower girl...in a wheel chair. Hard to top that! :)

Loved all your 7 things.

As talented a writer as you are, my friend, I think you should definitely find and birth that novel!!

I want an autographed copy. :)

Bob said...

Yes it was perthes that Kelly and I both had. I think I had it a couple of years before she did.

Debby said...

Gosh, Bob. How disappointed I was to discover that there is not one weird thing about you. Surely, you're hiding something. I'll bet you hold your pencil with your left foot. I bet.

My word verification is 'mentle'. Anyone want to make something of that? Huh? :^D

Nice list, Bob.

Bob said...

Debby -- and everyone -- I can assure you there are PLENTY of weird things about me. I can't let my food touch on my plate, I am afraid of fire -- those are a couple. I just thought when I saw "weird or random" I would pick random instead of weird. But be assured there's plenty of weird!

Kelly said...

Oh my gosh! I just came back here and saw your last comment, Bob. It's only been in my adult life that I will let the food items on my plate touch each other though I really don't like them to. How funny that you are the same way!! I also eat just one thing at a time. My husband thinks that's one of my strangest quirks.