Rie Learns Her Lessons

If you know me at all, you know that I tend to be a bit of a....well, if you know me, you already know.

And if you've read back to the beginning of my blog (which I'm assuming you all have) you know that MLHL was conceived out of a need to find some sense of achievement in the wisdom and maturity gained in being.... well.... you know, a bit of an idiot, the idea being that I get the nice catharsisy* feeling of saying "this is me. deal." and you get the superior feeling of knowing there's someone out there like me.

Anyway, my visitor count is down lately and my self-esteem needed a bit of a hit**, so I decided to ask a blogger buddy of mine to tell me about some of her "learning opportunities". Thought it would make a nice change, you know.

Allow me to introduce Rie, who lives over here. She's a globe-trotting, artsy-being blogger who just happens to love a bit of self-deprecation as much as I do. These are her lessons....

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1. If someone were to meet you in real life, what would their first impression of you be?

As someone who tends to make snap-judgments of "new" people but then almost always alters that impression, I figure most people do the same to me, or at least, it's only fair if they do so. The question is--to be redundant--what is that impression, and how/why do other people form it? I suppose we typically formulate our feelings on other people primarily from their behavior and appearance during that initial meeting.

Based on my behavior, I can only assume that most people find me to be a quiet individual, and while this isn't accurate once I warm up to someone, it is a fair assumption as a first impression. I admit that initially most of my mental energy is focused on listening and sussing out the other person (read: formulating my own first impression) rather than contributing too much to the conversation. Though I don't necessarily sit there with my mouth locked in the shut position, I am less likely to offer heaps of information about myself in favor of encouraging the other person to share and talk freely. The flip-side to being thought of as "quiet" is that I'm considered easy to talk to, or I hope this is the case at any rate.

I suppose my behavior in a "first impression setting" might make me seem a little socially awkward, and I'm inclined to believe that my style of dress encourages this feeling, or maybe it just reinforces certain stereotypes that go along with being thought of as a quiet sort of person. I tend to dress pretty casually; usually I'm in jeans and a t-shirt or hoodie, and I really try to avoid dressing up whenever possible. Meeting somebody while you're wearing a t-shirt that has a skull and cross-spoons (rather than crossbones) and reads "Cereal Killer" (one of my favorite shirts) can go one of two ways. Either the other person thinks it's funny/clever/witty and compliments you on the awesomeness of your shirt--OR--they avoid eye contact while slowly shuffling further away from you. I've had both reactions, and I think they indicate that people see me as either a laid back, unique individual--OR--a quiet, dangerous person to be avoided in the future. I feel the first impression is more accurate and preferable, and it's the vibe I get most often.

Summary: My perception of the first impression I give off most often is that I'm a quiet, nerdy individual, and as for accuracy, I think the nerdy part fits quite well.

2. If you could take back one thing you've said in your life, what would it be?

I can't count how many times I've said, "I want a purple Ford Ranger that has a neon blue heartbeat stripe running down the sides!" Granted, I'd estimate that about 99.5% of my uttering that statement was between the start of 1993 to the end of 1994, and the other 0.5% is made up of either me or someone who had to listen to my insane request remembering how often I used to say that. What was I thinking? I want that statement back!

Why would I have wanted a purple truck? I've never even seen a purple Ford Ranger; let alone a purple Ford Ranger with a neon blue heartbeat stripe! Oh, the teasing that it has prompted, and the embarrassment I have for 9 year-old me. People must have thought I was a nutcase because that is a seriously detailed and bizarre request for a little kid. I question the reasoning behind that statement, and the only excuse I can come up with is that I was 100% infatuated with all things country music at the time. Maybe, somebody had a song about purple Ford Rangers?

3. What can we learn from your mistakes?

That is an excellent question, and if anyone knows the answer, could you please let me know? Oh, you want an actual example or two for your own amusement. Ha. Sure. No problem. I'll give you 4 important life lessons.

Mistake 1: Doing a back flip off the diving board at the public pool.

Lesson 1: Listen carefully for lifeguard instructions. I didn't actually hear my little pumped-up-on-the-power lifeguard buddy say that back flips weren't allowed, and when I did one, she made me take a timeout on the edge of the diving well...as a 25 year-old. People laughed, and I sulked and mumbled to myself about having not known about that rule.

Mistake 2: Deciding to travel abroad for a year after finishing my masters coursework BUT before finishing my masters thesis. (This one is a serious mistake...sorry...had to slip it in.

Lesson 2: I understood that my thesis would still be there waiting for me in all its unfinished glory, but I hadn't considered how much my motivation would drop. Also, I am now a month away from heading home and just starting to realize how much I have forgotten about my project in the past year. I'm going to have some serious work ahead of me. D'oh!

Mistake 3: Trying to race down a big hill after getting a ripstik as a Christmas present this year.

Lesson 3: Baby steps. If you're not an accomplished ripstiker on flat surfaces, a steep hill at high speeds is a recipe for disaster. I was lucky to escape with nothing more serious than some road rash on my left arm, palms, and left leg; thank goodness for helmets. Oh, an important part of this lesson: baby steps and always wear a helmet!

Mistake 4: Using my forehead as a launchpad for one of those rubber popper toys.

Lesson 4: Don't do it! Using my forehead as a rubber popper toy launchpad results in a rubber popper toy shaped hickey. Also, your roommate will laugh her butt off at your situation, and it is hard to explain how you came by your hickey to your college classmates. Yeah, I was in college when I tried this. I suppose an alternate lesson would be that if you really want to try to use your forehead as a launchpad, you should do it when you're going to be alone for the next week or so.

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*Oh yes. I just used the word "catharsisy". I could have said "cathartic", but I didn't. Mel Cotton: kicking the English language in the jugular since 1985.

**That was NOT in the sales pitch. Sorry, Rie.