Recently, on Oprah, I saw a show that talked about a great project happening at more and more high schools in the US. It's called "Challenge Day". They gather the students in the gym. Then they're given different exercises that challenge them to break down facades and overcome differences. One of the exercises that stands out is when they had the students sit in a circle and take turns completing the sentence: If you really knew me you would know that...
It was wonderful to see teenagers from different backgrounds and social statuses open up to each other.
It got me thinking about how I would complete that sentence. I could add more but here is the beginning...
If you really knew me you would you that:
I have a great husband and two energetic children.
I love my friends.
I’m hard on myself.
I have big dreams.
I don’t know what they all are yet.
I have been skydiving.
Three times.
I’m insecure.
I enjoy attention.
I wish that I’d gone to college.
I was in air cadets, and loved it.
I love Oprah.
I remember nearly drowning when I was little.
My cousin rescued me.
While I was underwater I saw a pink octopus.
I’m bad with money.
I procrastinate.
I have a lot of anger stored up inside.
It escapes sometimes.
I’m afraid of it.
I love to talk on the phone.
For hours.
I hate being startled.
My husband and son think that it’s hilarious to sneak up and startle me.
I don’t like the dark.
I love to travel.
I love to read and can never remember the names of authors.
I’m still trying to find that special thing that I’m really good at doing. My passion.
I wish I had the courage to join a theatre group and learn to act.
That’s the first thing that I remember wanting to do.
My dad said that I would never make any money at it.
I never pursued it any further.
Not even in high school.
I don’t see that as dad’s fault.
It’s mine for not chasing my own dream.
I can never understand song lyrics. I can’t make out the words half the time.
I yell at my kids more than I would like.
I feel jealous sometimes.
I can usually talk myself out of it, though.
I’m afraid to write down the real “If you knew me” stuff.
My mom reads this blog.
One of my closest friends doesn’t.
She’s admitted that she just skims, looks at the pictures, but the rest doesn’t grab her attention.
I pretend that it doesn’t hurt my feelings.
It’s just a silly blog after all.
But it does hurt, because I would read hers if she had one.
I can be winy sometimes.
As you’ve just witnessed.
Did I mention that I’m hard on myself?
I can laugh at myself, though.
I have a good sense of humour.
But I’m not very witty.
I do admire other people’s wittiness.
I’ve read a lot of witticisms while blogging.
I don’t have a lot of friends, but the ones I have really love me.
I have a great life.
I just need to learn to appreciate it.
11 comments:
Finaly i get to see the REAL you again,I knew everything about you,but i did not know that you almost drowned.
sc
Great list. Some people think lists are boring but I love them, especially ones like this. They can reveal so much about a person. For instance.....skydiving...three times...tells me a whole lot about you! :o)
I didn't catch the show but we did the 'if you really knew me....' thing on linking parents after the show aired....it was interesting - and kind of sad to find out how insecure and lacking in self esteem so many women are - people I admired who were felt so low about themselves.....very eye-opening!
I love the list. What an intense, creative, though provoking exercise! I'm going to have to do my own sometime soon....
SC - It's always been the "real" me!
Joy - Does that tell you that I used to be crazy?!
Jane - It is sad that so many of us have insecurities going on. I wish I didn't but there you are. I do. I HAVE gotten over many of them, but still have some more work to do yet.
Heather - Thank-you. I look forward to reading your list.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hmmm - re-reading my comment to Jane, I think I many have come off sounding defensive. I just want to make sure you know that I'm not. ;)
You're funny. You can jump out of a plane, which to me doesn't show you are crazy but an incredibly strong person, but yet you seem to be so concerned about hurting other people's feelings. Hence your comment to Jane.
You are quite fascinating. Funny and fascinating LOL And because I know you are a sensitive soul I'm not saying those in a bad way. It's all good :o) I'd rather know someone who is funny and fascinating than someone who is so perfect it makes your head hurt to be around them.
Okay. I knew that after I posted that second comment that I someone would say something. :) Ah well. I y'am what I y'am.
When I LET GO (because you don't jump when you're just learning) of the plane I was 19 and stupid. Nah. I'm kiddin'. I'm glad I did it then because I wouldn't do it now.
You got one thing right for sure. As a rule, it is always good to love your friends :-)
I've type on your other posts that we have a lot in common. We have a lot of common traits. Let me explain:
I don't have a great husband or have two energetic children. I have a pretty good wife and four great children.
I happen to love my friends too.
I am also very hard on myself. However, I am discovering that I can't do everything that I think I should be doing. So I procrastinate :-)
I make pretty good money...but like you, I am not good with it. I am getting a bit better, but have a long way to go.
I also have big dreams...but have come to the conclusion that if I plan to live them, Me, and only Me, has the ability to make them a reality. So I starting to work toward some dreams.
There are lots more...but I'm not supposed to make my comments longer than the poster :-)
Thanks, Sirdar, for your comment. I find myself doing that, too, sometimes. Writing a comment on someone's blog that really turns into a post of it's own! But I like long comments - so don't edit yourself on my account!
Thanks again.
Lol Debbie I wasn't offended....and I wasn't saying that you lacked self esteem - just that many many women in Edmonton (as anywhere) do......the post is in the general forum at www.linkingparents.com you could search for it if it interested you....I just found it sad...I've always had quite high self esteem so find it puzzling...and sad that so many women I admire feel so low about themselves...
I don't know you well enough to make assumptions about you - we only met for five minutes ;) and my comments were about the ladies that posted on LP.
Have you read any of Sara Ban Breathnach's work? I recommend them - and journalling in general is wonderful for the soul ;)
HTH
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