Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The Facebook 25: A Self-Portrait

On Facebook, which I find baffling, I've been "tagged" to tell 25 random facts about myself. (Facebook reminds me of the floor of the NC House of Representatives the first time I went there to cover a story as a reporter: people popping up randomly all over the place in one big room, busily clustering here and there, no main focus of interest.)

The person who tagged me, my dentist, sent her own list of 25 items--one of these being the lengthy list of body parts on which she has had cosmetic work done. Well, I'm not going to go that far, but I'm going to put my list of 25, such as they are, here, which is not exactly private. (Bold, yes?) Here goes:

1. I love celebrity gossip magazines.
2. I like to take shortcuts, through parking lots and over little walls, etc. (on foot,I mean.)
3. Oh why not, here goes: when I was 25, I had my ears "pinned back" because they stuck out even more than those of Prince Charles who is also my age.
4. First thing when I get home at night, I need a crossword puzzle and a coconut popsicle.
5. I lived in Varanasi, India for three months once to do novel research and it felt like an entire separate lifetime tucked into this one.
6. I have twin brothers.
7. I like sorting things.
8. Oldies, swing, and marching bands are my favorite music.
9. I listen better if I'm doodling.
10. I'm sick of self-improvement and may give it up.
11. I still think I'm immortal and permanently healthy, even though I'm 60 years old.
12. I've always felt, without evidence, that I'm Irish and Jewish, and have recently learned that the Ireland part, at least, is true.
13. My house and yard are full of things I've painted flowers and designs on: morning glories on my car, tall frond-y weeds on the propane gas tank, the eyes of Buddha on the shed, ivy on the hot water heater, etc.
14. Millipedes give me the creeps. Also, power saws.
15. I love public speaking, off-the-cuff.
16. I'm a pro-porn feminist.
17. I like sparkly stuff.
18. If I've had previous lives, one was as a rabbi on the Lower East Side involved in the early 20th century labor movement. The other was as a fat sullen blonde French woman, living in a small town.
19. One of my books-in-progress, I've been working on on-and-off for 22 years.
20. I'm tres lefty in my politics.
21. Once a week, I get together with a friend and speak bad French for half an hour.
22. I was head junior varsity cheerleader at NHHS in 1963 and decided I wasn't cut out for management.
23. For a mild and civilized person, I'm uncommonly in touch with my more primitive and murderous side.
24. I'm either a chatty show-off introvert or an extrovert who needs hours alone almost every day.
25. I could talk about myself all day!

How about you? Add your own 25 in the comments. It's a very interesting exercise. I have just tagged you. That includes you, Julie Tomlin, and Toby Bloomberg, and Richard Krawiec, and Karen Tam. And especially you who are my regular companions here.



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13 comments:

kenju said...

I did mine on Facebook, and it wasn't nearly as funny as yours!

Peggy Payne said...

Funny?

Put a copy here if you feel like it. I'd love to read it and Facebook, as I mentioned, feels like a frying pan to me.

Mojo said...

A "pro-porn feminist"?

I knew there was a reason I liked you!

I'm not sure there are 25 things about me that are all that interesting. I'll give it some thought though.

Peggy Payne said...

Mojo, there are 25 and more. You'll be amazed how easy it is to do after you write one, which doesn't have to be the first one. It's sort of a cool cyber-party game.

Anonymous said...

I haven't done it on Facebook yet, even tho I've been tagged. But...25 random things.
1. am a distant cousin of Jesse James
2. have a turtle tattoo on my leg
3. love homemade coconut ice cream
4. am married for the 3rd time
5. am writing my first book
6. my dog is a dwarf golden retriever
7. my hair is gray but I still think I'm a blond
8. aging doesn't bother me
9. am not artistic
10. have a photo of Peggy's painted car (don't think she knows that)
11. am married to a musician
12. have 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grands
13. am definitely a morning person
14. absolutely love trips to the Home Store & PTA thrift stores
15. buy things at clearance prices 80% of the time
16. knew the daughter of the "Great Imposter"
17. not a good joke teller
18. not a good cook; in fact, not a cook
19. talk to my dead mother almost daily
20. will turn around on the street to take a second look at a beard
21. love cinnamon and sugar on buttered toast
22. usually have my husband order for me when we visit a fast food place
23. favorite indulgence is a pedicure
24. won't waste my money on manicure
25. am part of a family known to laugh at family funerals

Strictly off the top of my head; now that's bold!

Peggy Payne said...

Greta, these are delightful. I'm now a complete devotee of The 25 (this may turn into a buzz word, like the Pilates 100.)

I've learned fascinating new stuff about everyone who has written one of these lists.

A turtle tattoo? Why a turtle? And I must tell you, my office partner Carrie Knowles is also distantly related to Jesse James. Perhaps the two of you are cousins.

Thanks for contributing this, Greta.

Peggy Payne said...

And Greta, you ARE artistic.

Debra said...

Oh Peggy, that was fun to read!(and very enlightening, too!) I found number 12 particularly interesting. Why Irish and Jewish? That struck me because my four daughters are. Irish and Jewish!

Care to share 25 more?

Hugs,
Debbie

Peggy Payne said...

Wow, Debbie. Your daughters actually ARE Irish and Jewish. So cool!

In answer to your question about why--on Irish, probably because I look Irish. On Jewish, probably because a lot of the people I identify with are. And no doubt because I fit some of the stereotypes: my family was in the clothing business, I tend to be a "person of the book," my plan B life is in New York, I value education highly, etc.

It's interesting to me how a person develops an affinity with a different group or country than their own: anglophiles, francophiles, and so on.

Anonymous said...

Here goes (now wishing I used an alias!):

1. I take immense satisfaction in reporting litterers. http://www.ncdot.org/doh/Operations/dp_chief_eng/roadside/Beautification/Litterbug/
2.I am practically useless without 8 hours of sleep.
2. I am shocked at how much aging bothers me (althought I had never really thought about it until it started happening).
3. I pick up after my dogs (and silently curse the 40% of the dog owning population who doesn't)
4.I had tea with a elderly double-knight I met while in England. He put the moves on me.
5. I have five cats and two dogs.
6. I'd rather buy stuff for my home than clothes for me.
7. I hate chain saws, too!
8. I met my husband via a blind date.
9. I'm writing my first book.
10. I'm running out of things to list.
11. There is plastic surgery in my past as well.
12. I go to the same dentist as Peggy.
13.If I could, I'd spend all my money on art and animals.
14.I used to try to fly as a child.
In my dreams, I still do.
15.I hate chitchat.
16.Peter was my favorite Monkee.
17.I forgot to have children.
18.Sagittarius sun, scorpio rising, aries moon.
19.Milk chocolate or dark? Dark.
20.Red wine or white? Red.
21. Caraway seeds or strychnine?
Strychnine.
22. I really don't like talking about myself.
23. See #22.

Peggy Payne said...

"Hey, hey, we're the Monk-keeeees/People try to put us dow-own"

Fine choices, Sabine. And admirably bold of you to share. Thank you.

Tita Mama said...

I'd like to learn more about your yard art and see pics of your painted car.

And just because I'd like to join in the fun: Peter was my favorite Monkee, too!

From another Peggy!

Peggy Payne said...

Hello, my sister Peggy. There aren't enough new Peggys being made, I've noticed. I was once in a five-girl carpool with three Peggys. Those were the days.

Okay, some of my yard art photos:

The Eyes of Buddha Shed: http://peggypayne.blogspot.com/2006/01/missing-piece-for-new-year-of-writing.html

The New Leaf: http://peggypayne.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-year-new-leaf-new-artistic.html


And my car: christened Car-mela, Camry. http://peggypayne.blogspot.com/2007/08/my-artcar.html

Thanks for asking.