You might be surprised to know ...
Though some people may claim their life is an open book, I think most of us would be known primarily on the surface level. We are known by what jobs we do at home or outside the home, whether we are married or single, whether we have children or not, maybe what kind of car we drive and the type of home in which we live.
A couple weeks ago, my sister, Bev, challenged me to come up with a list of five things which I thought people might be surprised to know about me. Some of those surprises are deep and personal, but most of them have been fun to realize as I think about who I am.
In the name of full disclosure, or nearly full disclosure, I now share some of those surprises in this column.
I think many people, especially those around my age, would be surprised to know I am a big fan of the Mumford and Sons and the Avett Brothers music groups, and that most of the time I can tell the difference between the two.
I think most people would be surprised to know when I am driving through the countryside, any countryside in any state, I notice the different designs of barns, specifically the gambrel and gable designs, plus their variations. This is something I have learned through my reporting at the BCR.
People may also be surprised to know I went about 20 years without going to the movie theater. My first time back was for the “Sixth Sense” movie in which this child sees and hears dead people. Probably not my best choice for a first time back, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I was a vegetarian for a year and still often eat only vegetables for lunch.
I like mowing the yard, but only with a push mower, not the rider. My sister, Marilynn, has conned me into mowing her yard, claiming a leg injury, for the past several years. I actually enjoy it, but I try not to let her know that.
The last live concert I attended was given entirely in Spanish by a South American woman rapper who was on a tour in the United States and giving a concert in a downtown Salt Lake City park. I don’t understand Spanish, and I don’t understand rap music. But still it was an amazing concert.
I have never hit a deer while driving, though I have run over a dead one. There is a difference.
I have been in the same room as Danielle Colby-Cushman from the “American Pickers” television show, and I have also seen a contestant from the first season of “So You Think You Can Dance” in a grocery store in Salt Lake City.
I learned to drive a stick shift car while living in Rockford. I still start to hyperventilate when I come to a certain intersection on State Street.
As I completed my list and sent it to my sister, I couldn’t help but think I have had more fun in my life than I originally thought. Maybe it’s a good idea to reflect every once in a while on the fun things in life, instead of just the challenges.
BCR Senior Staff Writer Donna Barker can be reached at dbarker@bcrnews.com.
