7 Things You Did Not Know About Me – Meme

My good friend Jen Wagner tagged me for a meme that is to reveal 7 Things You Did Not Know About Me. Without fear of prosecution or persecution, I give you my seven below.

Let’s see. I’m a worry-wart. I have a triple-jointed thumb. I am Type A on some days and Type B on others. I am slightly obsessed with cars. There is Ryan and there is Bretag. I have ADHD or so they say but can control it on my own. I am a bit off the wall at times. People say I’m always smiling. I hate my hair (explains the same style for seven years). I am very curious to a point of frustration to others. I don’t sleep much (2-3 hours a night) but catch up on it while in the shower or bath. Oh, I want everything yesterday.

Hmmm… only 7? Well, fine.

I’m really, really shy!

I get a lot of strange looks when I say this but it quite true. I could spend hours at a social event just taking in the sights and sounds without saying much more than hello. I enjoy these events but I’m definitely not the “social butterfly” until I get to know those around me.

Sadly, my shyness is often seen as arrogance, which I continue to work on because it has caused problems throughout most my life.

Me, a Bodybuilder? I Hoped!

When I was 13, I met two of the greatest people I’ve ever known: Jeff and Ann Johnson. They changed my life in ways that continue to influence me in extreme ways to this day: confidence, intensity, preparation and organization, and an unquenchable thirst for improvement.

It was also a time that a skinny kid became enamored with what nutrition and training could do to the body.  After years of intense training, detailed nutrition, and rigorous studies, I pushed the envelope on what my body could do landing at a bodyweight of nearly 280 pounds with a body fat well under 10%. While bodybuilding has little to do with strength, I had that, too:

• Incline Bench for reps with 405  (rarely did bench)
• D.B. Shoulder Press for reps with 120 pound in each hand
• Squat (real squats — butt to calves) for reps with over 600 pounds
• Leg Press (real ones — knees to chest) for reps with over 1,500 pounds (yes, I’d have people sit on top of the machine)
• dead lift more than I can remember

This was also a time my shyness again hit me and I wouldn’t allow pictures of me unless I wore extremly baggy clothes to hide what I looked like. My wife though can attest to all of this, so ask her if you want the whole story

Sadly, bodybuilding is very much a genetic game and I was not genetically gifted in that area. However, I still dream of one day owning my own gym.

In any case, I loved the science and art of bodybuilding. Success was about everything you did leading up to the event not so much the event itself. It explains why I love planning, visioning, designing, and building.

My Wonderful Pal: S.I.

I’ve worked many hours with my wonderful pal the  speech impediment that has haunted me my whole life. Every time I think I have it beat, it rears its ugly head mostly because of a slight hearing issue and an accident when I was younger. The hardest thing about it is the hearing issue. Mentally, I hear things very clearly but this isn’t always the case to those I’m talking to at the time. It does get humorous though when I slow my pace down to a point that doesn’t meet my hyper personality — my body is doing one thing and my mouth another

I Don’t Know What I Want to Be When I Grow Up

I really don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I know it is in education and a high school but that is really it. Because I never wanted to be in education, I knew when it came to me that it was my calling, I would put everything into it and never leave. However, I don’t know where the rest of my 25-30 years in education will lead. To be honest, I’m okay with that because I am surrounded by mentors that will help me steer the boat in the right direction. Who knows? I might be right where I belong.

Oh, I’m also talking about when I retire, too. Pizza Parlor Owner? Gym Owner? Writer? Politician? Gosh, what do I want to be when I grow up?

My Gang is Lucky to be Alive

I often try to convince anyone that will listen that the show Jack A** and Sandlot were based upon my childhood. Growing up outside a small town in a little subdivision with a neighborhood full of boys (roughly 14) and one family with four girls was hell on all the parents. From Pillowboy to WAR, we had it all and then some.  Today, when we sit around telling the stories, those that weren’t there often say, “all of you are lucky to be alive”. Yeah, those were the greatest moments of my childhood!

Missing  Roots

I grew up in a small town and even though I loved it, I never fit and knew I had to get out as soon as possible. Funny, I think I tried a little to early That is why I went to four different high schools in four years: Loyola Academy, Marquette, Seminole, and Ottawa. Not only that, I use to get in my car on a Saturday after the gym and just drive. I usually landed in a college town where I dreamed of some day attending. Other times, I would end up in a city where I would crack a book and read or pull out my journal and write.

All and all, I am missing roots: home town, high school friends, and ties. It is probably why I will be one that doesn’t change jobs often and why I want to find a home that I don’t want to leave — my roots are being established there.

Deathly Afraid of Recognition

I don’t know what it is about awards and celebrations but I can’t handle it. It isn’t about being shy because I am fine once I get to know people. I simply can’t handle any type of recognition. Those moments send me into a complete state of panic.

You’re Up!

Alright, this surely qualifies for thought(ful)(less) meanderings. Now, it is my duty to tag seven others to reveal a bit more about themselves. With that in mind, I’ve tagged seven people that have recently entered my network in one form or another that I’d like to know a bit more about.

1. Charlie Roy
2. Mike Fisher
3. Jill Thoreson
4. Dan Stucke
5. L Rozelle
6. Lenva Shearing
7. Michelle Morley

Related posts:

1. Painting a SL Scenario: My first Meme
2. Professional Development Meme

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