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Day 1: 10 Things Most People Wouldn't Know About You

1.) I recently discovered that my love language is quality time.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, you may want to check out this website and take the free quiz.  Love languages are big in my friend group and in my church.  Basically, your love language is how you best receive love.  Knowing the love language of your spouse is important, but it's also great to know the love languages of your friends, family, and even your co-workers.  For example, if your love language was physical touch and mine was words of affirmation, so I praised you all the time but never gave you a hug, you wouldn't feel connected to me.  When you learn someone's love language, you can better show them that you love them in a way they'll understand.

I always thought mine was words of affirmation.  Ali and I were having a long conversation the other night and I blurted out, "I must be unlovable because words of affirmation don't really affect me that much."  Sure, I enjoy compliments, but I usually don't care what people think or say about me and criticism doesn't bother me a whole lot either.  So how could words of affirmation be my love language?

"Well," Ali finally said, "what language do you use to show love to people?  Like your mom?"

It certainly wasn't words of affirmation.  Unless I know that someone's love language is words of affirmation, I tend to feel a little timid and even hold back my compliments.  I'm not a very vocal person.  We finally realized that I usually give love by spending time with someone.  I like my privacy and alone time, so when I reach out to spend time out of my day with someone, I'm showing love.  In the same way, it's very important to me for my friends and family to spend some quality time with me or else I'll start to feel a bit rejected.

Ali and I were quite proud that we figured out my actual love language after such a long discussion.  I suppose I'm not unlovable after all. ;)

2.) I once desperately believed that one day, Peter Pan (yes, I believed he was real), would come and take me to Neverland before I grew up.  I was certain that there was no way I would ever grow to be an adult.  I thought that imagination was the most important and wonderful thing in the world and that you certainly couldn't have an imagination if you were over the age of ten or eleven.  I had a little Peter Pan doll and I would carry him around and write stories about him, waiting and waiting for the real Peter Pan, the one from my favorite story, to come get me and fly me away.  Man, I couldn't wait until I could fly.  I know I was an odd child.

3.) I love to read, but I often don't bother to finish books.  If a book doesn't keep my attention, then I won't finish it.  I feel like I'm busy and don't have a lot of time to read these days.  If a book doesn't suck me into the story, then why should I waste my time?  I'm very picky.  If I don't like a book, I'll take it to Hastings and sell it.

4.) My dream career would be to have something like Buck Williams' job from the "Left Behind" series.  Interesting, right?  Being an international journalist who got to travel all over the world and write for an amazing magazine would be my dream.

My other dream job would be to blog professionally.  We'll see where these dreams go. :)

5.) I'm incredibly stubborn.  When I get into a debate, it's difficult for me to let my opinion go.  When I get angry, it can take a long time to let go of my grudge if I'm not careful.  I don't think most people realize this about me because I'm very laid back and noncontroversial.  I will nearly always let an issue go because I don't want to have to get into any sort of disagreement.  But once I do, I can be quite stubborn.  This can be both a very good and a very bad thing.

6.) I apparently pretend to be tougher than I am.  Ali decided this about me recently and I don't deny it, although it did surprise me a little when she said so.  When I say this, I don't mean I act like a tough guy who threatens to beat people up and be "tough," but instead I suppose I try to be someone who isn't easily hurt or is rarely upset.  For example, if someone says, "I cry all the time in movies," I might automatically say, "Oh yeah, I never cry in movies."  I don't know why, but I hate being considered typical or emotional.  So I don't know if I'm as tough as I seem sometimes.

Actually, I probably don't fool anyone.  When I act "tough," everyone is probably chuckling to themselves the entire time.

7.) I actually do love being short.  And pale-skinned instead of tan.  I know that sounds strange, but I've grown to like who I am and what I look like.  When I sit here and think about when God made me to be this way, I imagine Him lovingly deciding that I would have very white skin and be shorter than the average person.  He made me to look the way I do and loved who He made.  I'm thankful for the way I look, even if it isn't always considered "beautiful" by my society's standards.

8.) I hate change.  In fact, I will keep something until it breaks because I so desperately do not want to change it.  My mom got me a new alarm clock.  It has a fantastic stereo with an iPod dock included, but I still keep my familiar old iPod dock on my nightstand... because I love it.  And I've had it for years and years.  And it's perfectly fine.  I use both here and there, but I don't think I'll get rid of my old speakers until they finally break.  And when I do get rid of them, I'll be very sad.

Because I'm a creature of habit, I like things to remain where they are.  Always.  I felt bad for Ali when she shared my room.  She would simply move something from one end of the counter to the other and I would become a bit disoriented.  I like things to stay the same.  Can you imagine how it's been for me to have a brand new bedroom in a brand new city, starting a brand new church and a brand new school and making brand new friends?  Scary.

9.) Remember those clear plastic bracelets filled with glitter that spun when you moved?  You may have had one when you were a kid.  I still wear them.  Daily.  Usually just one at a time, but I find the bracelets incredibly entertaining.  When I'm bored in class or sitting in a traffic jam, I will spin the bracelet around and around in circles.

10.) I am always cold.  If you see me in a giant sweatshirt or jacket or blanket, it's not a fashion statement.  It's because I'm cold most of the time.  In fact, when I take my temperature, my body temp is usually a degree or two lower than 98.6.

What are some things about you that most people don't know?