Inspired by Phil Gerbyshak’s blog post, I thought it would be neat to share 8 random things about myself with you in an effort to deepen the bond that we already share. If you have a website or a blog, I encourage you to do the same with your community. (Photo Credit: Patty Barratt).
1. It wasn’t until I was 3 years of age when my hearing disability was accidentally discovered by none other than my grandmother who was at the house helping Mom one day.
2. I love the smell of campfire smoke and cut grass. If I see someone mowing the lawn or burning something in their backyard, I’ll roll down the window of my car to take a good whiff of it.
3. My nickname in high school was “Hoppy Toad.”
4. While in elementary school, I was failing at math. Several years later I became a stockbroker at a major Wall Street firm handling millions of dollars worth of investments for my clients. Ironic twist of fate. But I admit I still sometimes count on my fingers when it comes to simple arithmetic.
5. After I got my first job as a teenager working at a gas station, I was fired shortly thereafter for goofing off with the boss’s son. Not wanting my parents to know about this, I hid in the woods behind my house every day for a full week, pretending to go to work.
6. I rode a bike from Boston to New York, a 550 mile trek over 5 days to raise money for charity.
7. My favorite brand of cigar is Montensino Toro. Having a cigar out on my porch or by a large body of water helps me think.
8. I rarely use the alarm clock. If I wake up past 7 am, it feels like I wasted the day already.
Food for thought: How about you? What are 8 random things people might find interesting about you?
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9:10 pm on August 9th, 2007 1
Love the sharing you’ve done here Stephen. I enjoy getting to know you a little more, and it’s posts like this that help me to do so.
Life is full of the little ironies like you’ve shared here. You are an amazing human being, and I’m honored to have you amongst my friends.
6:28 am on August 10th, 2007 2
Phil:
Thanks for stopping by and learning a little more about me. I also enjoyed reading your 8 random things. These things are fun, aren’t they? They allow all of us a little glimpse into one another.
I’m glad to have you amongst my friends too and I look forward to meeting you in person one of these days. You are also amazing!!
Stephen
3:33 am on August 14th, 2007 3
Hi, Stephen!
I was tagged for the “Eight Random Facts” meme and wrote a post about it on Writer’s Notes a short time back.
Here’s the URL: http://www.writersnotes.net/eight-random-facts-about-jeanne-dininni/.
It was great to learn a few more things about you from your post!
Take care!
Jeanne
1:53 pm on August 14th, 2007 4
Jeanne:
Isn’t the “8 Random Facts” meme a fun thing or what? Thanks for taking the time to learn a little more about me.
I’m going to head straight over to your site and learn more about you. I’m glad you stopped by and told me about yours!
Stephen
11:18 am on January 4th, 2008 5
Stephen, thanks for sending me to this article and sorry about misspelling your last name. I will pay attention next time.
11:47 pm on January 4th, 2009 6
This is an amusing post in part because people who answer this question often impulsively write their answers. I responded to a similar post. My instinctive ideas are here: http://blog.dreambuilders.com.au/journal/2007/10/29/7-random-facts-about-me.html
8:32 am on January 5th, 2009 7
@ Liara Covert:
I went over to your blog and read yours with interest and curiosity. I left a comment over there asking what some of the stuff you talked about meant. There were some unfamiliar words - I look forward to hearing back from you!
12:08 pm on January 5th, 2009 8
Hi Stephen,
I replied ot your comment on my blog. Thanks for visiting! Also,
If I was asked about 8 random things about myself right now, I would list the following;
1) I have felt what its like to stand above the clouds and sense the night skies from a Chilean Observatory.
2) I have flown as a passenger in the cockpit of a plane during aerial team acrobatic manoeuvers.
3) I make sense of the present by learning to detach from my limited perception of the past.
4) I evolve to realize those people I had thought were my enemies are some of my most profound teachers.
5) I trust my intuition implicitly.
6) I believe love and compassion are life-tranforming energies that bring us back to ourselves
7) I have grown to intuit worth in the form of kindness rather than to measure it in terms of degrees or measurable competency.
8:09 am on January 7th, 2009 9
@ Liara Covert:
Thanks for sharing! I love stuff like this. It makes getting another person very interesting. In fact, it’s given me an idea - I might do another post asking readers to give 3 to 5 random things about themselves that we don’t know about. Hmm…..that might be fun!
11:13 pm on January 9th, 2009 10
Hi Stephen,
This would be an intriguing exercise for people to consider. Insodoing, we learn how spontaneous we are, what we desire to share or hide, what we deem important or interesting or significant, or whether we even consciously reflect before we speak at all.