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It's a meme!
14 years ago
Because I have SO much free time, I invited 
kittiara to tag me in this meme. Goodness only knows what came over me. So here we go:
Da Rules
1. NO RULES, I AM A REBEL.
First, 5 things about me:
1. Some days I really wish I had become a veterinarian. At some point I'd like to volunteer as a vet tech.
2. I collect art ceramics and antique (or just nifty) glassware. Currently I have a special fondness for tea sets. I mentioned this in passing to some of my close friends a couple weeks ago, and they found it completely astonishing somehow.
3. I hate having things against my face, and I'm really sensitive about cumbersome or ill-fitting clothing. Thus, it stands to reason that the next logical step was to go into fursuiting. >.>
4. I've been taking belly dance classes for almost two years now, and I love it. I hope to get over my crippling stage fright and perform someday.
5. Red is not my natural hair color (gasp!)
1) What is your relationship to the fandom? Do you feel like being a furry/insert-your-term-of-choice is something someone can ever 'stop being' for good or is it always a part of you?
As for my relationship to the fandom, I blissfully don't care. I like animal costumes and anthropomorphic animals, and I refuse to let it get more complicated than that.
I am fully aware that people can change, and ideas can change. I am comfortable with that. "Furry" is an idea - one that encompasses a wide variety of interests within one very, very general aesthetic. By it's nature, it can - and will - grow and change. I don't really like the idea of building my identity on such an idea, such a vague concept. So on that note, I understand how people come to feel the need to "Rage Quit Furry", when they have come to rely on the idea as a particular thing, and then later come to find "furry" to somehow be in conflict with themselves. However, it is silly. Furthermore, I think that people have a general tendency to continue liking deeply ingrained concepts and aesthetics - I, for instance, will probably always love animals and nature - but of course people can change, even very dramatically.
TL;DR: yes, sort of.
2) Generally speaking, are you content with the way your life is right now?
In general, yeah. I have a neat job (even though I frequently find it overwhelming), I love my hubby, I have two snuggly cats, and my family is awesome.
That said, I feel like I want more control over my life (doesn't everyone, though), and that things could stand to be simpler. I want to live in a rural rather than urban setting. With any luck, that very well could happen next year.
3) What is more important: knowing how to listen to someone or knowing how to talk to someone?
I'm going to be infuriating here and say that: it depends on the situation, and the preferred outcome. A friend just went through a crisis and needs to vent? Listening. Someone's flipped a shit and you need to talk them down to prevent them from hurting themselves? Talking. In general, I'd say the more challenging thing is definitely talking to someone - really talking, not just running your mouth. I know people like to think that listening is harder, but listening is really about just shutting the hell up for a few minutes and giving a damn about the person who's talking to you. Saying just the right thing at the right time? Using words to change someone's outlook on life? That's hard.
4) What is the most beautiful place you have ever been to?
Gaaaah I can't choose just one!
So I'm going to choose a "place" that will never happen to me again. I put place in quotations there, because the place itself is just a beach in North Carolina, but was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen because of a very chance collision of a number of natural occurrences.
It was night time, right after a huge thunder storm. The tide had gone out, leaving tide pools all over the beach. The storm had gone out to sea, but was still visible in half the sky, with lightning occasionally striking near the water. The other half of the sky was clear, with a full moon over the water. And if that wasn't freakishly magical enough, the tide pools were full of phytoplankton, which glowed and shimmered green wherever your feet touched the water.
Lightning, full moon, and glowing fairy pools while alone on a beach at night. Yeah.
Second choice would be the desert in the American Southwest, especially at night, with the stars that go on forever.
5) How is your comfort level in public? Would you do something 'silly' like dance? (conventions count)
Just TRY to stop me from dancing. I dance in the freaking grocery store. Singing, though? I'm bloody scared to sing in the shower on the off-chance that I might be overheard.
6) Name someone who was/is a big influence in your life. (anyone can count)
Going to have to copy yours, Kittiara, and say my parents. I guess it's obvious, as it's hard to not be influenced in some way by one's parents. But they always encouraged my art, and were totally cool with me doing crap like slathering paint all over every surface of my bedroom. Oh yeah, and playing dress-ups. Constantly.
7) How would you measure your level of pride, or lack thereof?
I keep it in check. I want to be a humble person. Occasionally I get ahead of myself and start thinking I'm a little better than I am (this happens when you live in a hug-box), at which point I give myself some sort of wake-up call and get myself back on the ground.
8) Are you looking forward to 2012?
With an equal level of excitement and fear, yes. The biggest thing we're facing next year is a probable home purchase and move and well, it's scary. But cool. But scary.
9) Are you 'afraid' of anything? Is it a physical object or thing, or a more nebulous idea or thought?
I am terrified of bodily disfigurement (except when it's animal-related, i.e. werewolf transformation does not get me). In movies, if someone's hair is falling out in clumps, or their face gets deformed or disfigured, I get really scared and feel kinda nauseous. The blueberry scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? When I was a little kid, I got through the tunnel scene just fine, but the blueberry scene had me screaming bloody murder and crawling over and behind the sofa. To this day it makes me queasy.
I am also terrified of losing my mind, or watching someone else lose theirs. Seeing someone you love who looks the same, but they're a different person inside - very upsetting.
10) Would you rather have someone write your biography for you or would you rather write it yourself?
Hmm. On one hand, I'm a control freak. On the other, I don't like talking about myself at length and would feel like a total twerp writing a whole book abut myself. So I'll choose biography by someone else, after I'm dead ;)
11) Is there any aspect of 'childhood' or 'childishness' you try and keep in your day-to-day adult life?
Yes, although there's a difference between "childish" and "child-like". I try to retain child-like qualities, in keeping a very active imagination, daydreaming, playing games, forever learning, and never losing my fascination with the world around me.
kittiara to tag me in this meme. Goodness only knows what came over me. So here we go:Da Rules
1. NO RULES, I AM A REBEL.
First, 5 things about me:
1. Some days I really wish I had become a veterinarian. At some point I'd like to volunteer as a vet tech.
2. I collect art ceramics and antique (or just nifty) glassware. Currently I have a special fondness for tea sets. I mentioned this in passing to some of my close friends a couple weeks ago, and they found it completely astonishing somehow.
3. I hate having things against my face, and I'm really sensitive about cumbersome or ill-fitting clothing. Thus, it stands to reason that the next logical step was to go into fursuiting. >.>
4. I've been taking belly dance classes for almost two years now, and I love it. I hope to get over my crippling stage fright and perform someday.
5. Red is not my natural hair color (gasp!)
1) What is your relationship to the fandom? Do you feel like being a furry/insert-your-term-of-choice is something someone can ever 'stop being' for good or is it always a part of you?
As for my relationship to the fandom, I blissfully don't care. I like animal costumes and anthropomorphic animals, and I refuse to let it get more complicated than that.
I am fully aware that people can change, and ideas can change. I am comfortable with that. "Furry" is an idea - one that encompasses a wide variety of interests within one very, very general aesthetic. By it's nature, it can - and will - grow and change. I don't really like the idea of building my identity on such an idea, such a vague concept. So on that note, I understand how people come to feel the need to "Rage Quit Furry", when they have come to rely on the idea as a particular thing, and then later come to find "furry" to somehow be in conflict with themselves. However, it is silly. Furthermore, I think that people have a general tendency to continue liking deeply ingrained concepts and aesthetics - I, for instance, will probably always love animals and nature - but of course people can change, even very dramatically.
TL;DR: yes, sort of.
2) Generally speaking, are you content with the way your life is right now?
In general, yeah. I have a neat job (even though I frequently find it overwhelming), I love my hubby, I have two snuggly cats, and my family is awesome.
That said, I feel like I want more control over my life (doesn't everyone, though), and that things could stand to be simpler. I want to live in a rural rather than urban setting. With any luck, that very well could happen next year.
3) What is more important: knowing how to listen to someone or knowing how to talk to someone?
I'm going to be infuriating here and say that: it depends on the situation, and the preferred outcome. A friend just went through a crisis and needs to vent? Listening. Someone's flipped a shit and you need to talk them down to prevent them from hurting themselves? Talking. In general, I'd say the more challenging thing is definitely talking to someone - really talking, not just running your mouth. I know people like to think that listening is harder, but listening is really about just shutting the hell up for a few minutes and giving a damn about the person who's talking to you. Saying just the right thing at the right time? Using words to change someone's outlook on life? That's hard.
4) What is the most beautiful place you have ever been to?
Gaaaah I can't choose just one!
So I'm going to choose a "place" that will never happen to me again. I put place in quotations there, because the place itself is just a beach in North Carolina, but was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen because of a very chance collision of a number of natural occurrences.
It was night time, right after a huge thunder storm. The tide had gone out, leaving tide pools all over the beach. The storm had gone out to sea, but was still visible in half the sky, with lightning occasionally striking near the water. The other half of the sky was clear, with a full moon over the water. And if that wasn't freakishly magical enough, the tide pools were full of phytoplankton, which glowed and shimmered green wherever your feet touched the water.
Lightning, full moon, and glowing fairy pools while alone on a beach at night. Yeah.
Second choice would be the desert in the American Southwest, especially at night, with the stars that go on forever.
5) How is your comfort level in public? Would you do something 'silly' like dance? (conventions count)
Just TRY to stop me from dancing. I dance in the freaking grocery store. Singing, though? I'm bloody scared to sing in the shower on the off-chance that I might be overheard.
6) Name someone who was/is a big influence in your life. (anyone can count)
Going to have to copy yours, Kittiara, and say my parents. I guess it's obvious, as it's hard to not be influenced in some way by one's parents. But they always encouraged my art, and were totally cool with me doing crap like slathering paint all over every surface of my bedroom. Oh yeah, and playing dress-ups. Constantly.
7) How would you measure your level of pride, or lack thereof?
I keep it in check. I want to be a humble person. Occasionally I get ahead of myself and start thinking I'm a little better than I am (this happens when you live in a hug-box), at which point I give myself some sort of wake-up call and get myself back on the ground.
8) Are you looking forward to 2012?
With an equal level of excitement and fear, yes. The biggest thing we're facing next year is a probable home purchase and move and well, it's scary. But cool. But scary.
9) Are you 'afraid' of anything? Is it a physical object or thing, or a more nebulous idea or thought?
I am terrified of bodily disfigurement (except when it's animal-related, i.e. werewolf transformation does not get me). In movies, if someone's hair is falling out in clumps, or their face gets deformed or disfigured, I get really scared and feel kinda nauseous. The blueberry scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? When I was a little kid, I got through the tunnel scene just fine, but the blueberry scene had me screaming bloody murder and crawling over and behind the sofa. To this day it makes me queasy.
I am also terrified of losing my mind, or watching someone else lose theirs. Seeing someone you love who looks the same, but they're a different person inside - very upsetting.
10) Would you rather have someone write your biography for you or would you rather write it yourself?
Hmm. On one hand, I'm a control freak. On the other, I don't like talking about myself at length and would feel like a total twerp writing a whole book abut myself. So I'll choose biography by someone else, after I'm dead ;)
11) Is there any aspect of 'childhood' or 'childishness' you try and keep in your day-to-day adult life?
Yes, although there's a difference between "childish" and "child-like". I try to retain child-like qualities, in keeping a very active imagination, daydreaming, playing games, forever learning, and never losing my fascination with the world around me.
Aahh!
That beach scene sounds so absurdly magical, I would like to see a painting. BECAUSE YOU HAVE TIME FOR THAT.
And I definitely agree with number 3.