I would speak seven languages and work as an interpreter who had her own jet and flew around the world doing my job. But in doing so, I would need a place to lay my head wherever I went. To rectify this I would have a house in five countries and stay in fancy hotels in places I had no house.
Tag: dailyprompt
Describing Myself to Someone Who Can’t See Me
I am medium height with light brown hair and blond highlights and some gray. Fair skin and blue eyes. Slender.
Traditions
When my sisters and I were kids, my parents celebrated St. Nicholas Day at the beginning of each December. We would put our shoes by the front door the night before, and in the morning there would be candy in them. My dad was German, so he bought German candy at the German import store, and he would fill our shoes with that. As an adult with four kids of my own, I never recognized that tradition. I don’t know why. It was a fun tradition.
Over the years I set out to create my own traditions for the most part. Not that I didn’t like the traditions my parents took part in. I just never thought about it before. My husband and I had fun coming up with our own traditions. Some we thought of were compilations of his family’s old traditions and mine.
The one tradition I stuck with (or tried to) is how my mom did Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. From decorations to dinner I wanted my Christmas for my family as a grown up to mirror hers. Why? Because of the feeling I received when I walked into her house as an adult going to her house for Christmas Eve dinner, opening presents in the morning, decorations, all of it. But I learned something along the way during that process of trying to mimic hers. I can’t. I am not her.
Dogs or Cats
Sustainable Lifestyle
I try to remain active to some degree. Staying healthy is important, so keeping the heart in good shape plays a huge role. I walk, I just started doing Pilates, and working in the yard helps too. Eating right, well mostly, is also important.
Self-care
How do you practice self-care?
I practice self-care through proper diet and exercise.
My Tagline
If humans had taglines, what would yours be?
Complexity at its best.
New Name
If you had to change your name, what would your new name be?
There are so many names I like, but the one I keep going back to is Olivia.
Favorite Book
I didn’t have one favorite book. Instead, there were two series of books I loved. One was the Dr. Seuss books and the other was the Dandelion Library Series. I remember when they came via UPS. My mom opened the box, and it was like seeing a chest full of gold treasure. Oh such great memories. Later I graduated to the Nancy Drew Series. From there I read the Agatha Christie books.
A Fear I Overcame
When I was in the Navy Reserves, I took a course called Firefighting and Damage Control at the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, Long Island. If any of you have been there, you know where I am talking about. The course was two weeks long with the first week covering firefighting and the second week covering damage control. The first week consisted of a lot of classroom instruction (Monday – Thursday), then Friday was hands on. Now keep in mind I was a novice at this. I had seen firefighting on TV shows, but I was never part of the act in real life. Until that course. Yes, I was nervous, fearful, and Oh My Gosh all wrapped into one emotion. The key is not letting that show.
The hands on consisted of various scenarios. In each scenario we had to put out a fire in a different type of environment as it pertained to Naval situations. For some scenarios we worked with a partner, and for others we were put into teams of six. My fear at that time was claustrophobia. Let’s just say it isn’t my fear anymore.
Let me explain. This school had a small Navy ship built into the pavement for training purposes. The galley (kitchen) was below the surface. The stairwell to get to it was painted black. The fire (Yes, there really was one, albite it being controlled) was in the kitchen. My team of six headed down the stairs (keep in mind that if we didn’t do any of these scenarios, we didn’t pass the course). I was in the middle of the line of sailors heading down the stairs. We got halfway down. It grew darker. The walls closed in. I froze, slapped my hands on the walls on either side of the stairwell, turned and ran back up the steps. When I reached the top, my instructor asked, “What’s the problem?” To which I replied, “Claustrophobia.” He told me to relax and breath. He didn’t force me to go down. After all, I did have a choice. But I needed to pass that course. That fact kept slapping me in my head more than anything. So I said, “I have to do this. I’m going down.” And I did. I trotted down the stairs, met my team mates who where fighting the kitchen fire, took hold of the hose and did what I was supposed to do.
I know I made this sound like the decision was easy at the end when I decided to finish the scenario. But, trust me, it wasn’t. The fear of failing won out in the end. We put the fire out and passed.
WRITE TIME AND AGAIN 