I've Been Tagged . . .

I don't normally play these games, but I figured, why not? My Alabama friend, Sheila has tagged me, so I'll honor the tradition and fulfill the game of telling 5 things no one knew about me:

1.) I have an obsessive affinity for monkeys. I watch little t.v., but if there's a show with monkeys, I stop what I'm doing and sit down to watch it. I'm completely and utterly fascinated by monkeys of all kinds, and if I could, I'd run my own monkey rehab and protection center.

2.) I used to be a singer in a Christian rock band during college, and we were on the verge of a record deal - unfortunately the opportunity as a group passed on with the other members when they went on a ski trip to Colorado in '95 and were killed in an avalanche. I managed to avoid the trip myself because I cancelled at last moment due to prior engagements. I think I now have a permanent fear of skiing now. I decided to never pursue a career on my own beyond that, since without my friends, I was just a single wheel without a car. Here's to you guys!

3.) There's a history of schizophrenia with the males in my family that I managed to avoid, although it's yet to be seen if my children avoided it, as it doesn't normally show its ugly head until around the ages of 18-24. My father may have an unknown form of it, and my late brother had all the known manifestations of it. If you've ever seen the movie, A Beautiful Mind, the character was very much like my brother, though my brother never had the opportunity that John Nash did.

4.) If you've ever read my profile, you already know that I'm a nerd / geek in disguise. What I mean by "disguised" is that I don't fit the visual profile with the pocket protectors and usual stereotype. During school, I had long hair like Slash's and I was your typical head banger. Now, my hair is all but gone, but I dress in jeans and flannel, enjoy hard work, watch the typical "man's" selection of movies and definitely avoid Star Trek conventions. But secretly and mentally, I'm all things geeky.

5.) I have a freezing fear of flying. The fear is so terrible I have a difficult time watching shows or movies that involve plane crashes. It's not dying I fear, I have no fear of death whatsoever beyond what I would leave behind for my children, wife and family. It's the possible painful trip TO death - falling thousands of feet out of the sky - that I fear. I don't fear heights, as I used to rock climb, bungee jump from "questionable" places, and I don't mind balloons, Cessnas or even a helicopter. In a jet airliner, however, I cannot see where we're headed, I have little control from my point of view beyond the clouds and mist I can see from a side window, and I hear nothing about our headings, weather or turbulence, unless it's enough to cause us to buckle up. This must make one wonder how I got where I am. A few drinks before the flight, during and afterwards. I don't drink much beyond the occasional beer during the holidays or a cold one a very warm summer day after working, but I become quietly drunk during a jet flight. Now, come March, I will have to fly with my son, so I'll be unable to use anything to calm what nerves I have during a flight, so this is going to be interesting.

So those are five things you may or may not have known about me. Your turn!


TAGGED:

Trace

Mel

Shazz