First of all I really want to say my honest and heartfelt thanks to those people who asked for my password recently, read that post and left words of support. I don’t mind telling you that Mrs Blubber McBlubberton here shed a few tears at your kind words and knowing that I have that support means a great deal to me.
This kind of segues very neatly into the fact that Slamdunks has handed me the Honest Scrap Award, meaning that I should list 10 honest facts about myself:
1. (And relating to what I said above): When I write I tend to ’speak’ with a free voice. In the real world I’m an introvert who could probably do with extended therapy sessions because when trouble strikes I retreat even further into my shell, instead of doing what I should do – reaching out to others for support.
2. Again relating to my opening paragraph, I cry at the drop of a hat. I can’t help it and I sometimes think it’s almost at the ‘disability’ stage. I cry at the happy and I cry at the sad. The phrase: ‘Stop it or I’ll really give you something to cry about’ was bandied about in my direction more than once in my childhood and could, maybe, go some way to explaining ‘truths’ 1 and 2 here.
3. I’m highly empathic. I can usually tell what people are really feeling, despite their outer veneer, and if they’re troubled and they’re people I care about, I’ll worry. If I really, really care about them I may even end up as described in point 2 above – blubbering again!
4. I’m too concerned with what others think of me. If people don’t like me for some unknown reason, I wish I could say that it’s their tough luck. In reality I worry that I’ve done something wrong and think that maybe I should alter the way I am.
OK let’s get off the psychotherapy session…
5. I found English easy as a subject at school, did well at exams despite sometimes minimal effort and have won prizes for my writing. I once wrote a book – just to prove to myself that I could. Pre stroke I was also a frequent contributor to the ‘Letters’ page of our local paper and gained some notoriety for my punchy text and sharp wit. (Or did I mishear that and they were really saying ‘purely wet’ and ’sharp twit’).
6. I’ve always been an environmentalist and worked for a period at a conservation trust. Despite this, the modern-day breed of environmentalists (evangelists who have recently converted) tend to irritate me with their single minded and unquestioning thinking that too often translates as demeaning and bullying of those who simply don’t agree with them.
7. I met my husband at school youth club when I was 14 and it was literally a case of ~Wham!~ love at first site. We split for a while after a few years during which time I dated other men, even becoming engaged to another love. I’ve lived with my soul mate for 29 years, been married for 27 and I still adore him. I can’t remember a single argument that we’ve had because I honestly don’t think there have been any. (Schmaltzy, but true).
8. I was never one of those women who swoons at every infant and frequently found OPCs (other people’s children) very annoying. With my own children however, I instantly felt that being a mother was ‘my calling’ and, in truth, I’d die for my girls. My little family means everything to me and I often wish I’d had more children (but bozo here was doing her bit for the planet by only having two).
9. I led a monetarily very privileged childhood but my parents lost it all when I was in my early teens. Having seen and experienced both sides of the coin I know what is truly important in life but I still stand by the phrase that ‘it is easier to be happy and rich than happy and poor.’
10. I have an inquisitive mind and I undoubtedly think too much for my own good. I sometimes think that if I was less aware of the sh*t going on in the world I’d probably be a whole lot happier. On the other hand, people who say they don’t read the news because it depresses them frustrate me. Someone has to be paying attention, and I don’t think it’s either safe or fair to leave that responsibility to ’someone else’.
Now…handing on the Honest Scrap Award: As in life, I have a relatively small band of internet friends who I’m regularly in touch with and whose blogs are permanent reads, some of whom may already have received this. Forgive me therefore if you’re already an Honest Scrapper and if you’ve done this recently, and yet it seems to have entirely passed me by (because ‘factoid number 11′ would have been that post stroke I have THE most appalling memory).
I’m actually handing this worthy award on to more than 7, ( trusting that fire and brimstone will not rain down on me as a result), because the aforementioned bad memory means that I’m sure at least two of you will have done this already.
In no particular order therefore, I hand the torch to: Carma at CarmaSez, Helen at Feedingfamilyoffiveforfifty, Joanna at FiftyFactor, Natasha at SheLeftOnAMonday, Amanda at Teasingly Diverse, Terri at TerriTerri, Jane at TheyCallMeJane, Unknown Mami and Alicia at YayaStuff Though, seriously…No pressure, no obligation peeps.
Contact me: celcelore[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk
