Seven Things You Don’t Need to Know About Me meme

Penny Rider of Teaching Challenges tagged me for this. I have seen this on many people’s blogs and really enjoyed reading them too. At first I wasn’t going to but then I realized it helped me to learn more about others that I communicate with so maybe someone would be interested in me too. You will see why I had doubts when you read #7.

1. I have played an accordion since I was four years old. In fact when I was in high school, I placed fifth in the state competition for my age group. (Yes, there were more than five people competing too!) I don't play as well any more and try to play in nursing homes during their lunch because they really don't care if I make any mistakes. I keep having to play the same songs and worried that they might get bored but when I asked, one lady told me that they couldn't remember what they had for breakfast, much less what songs I played last week. After she said that, the whole room burst out in laughter!

2. When I started dating my husband I worked three jobs that summer to pay for my junior year at Furman University. I worked as a desk clerk in a yucky motel from 7am – 3pm Monday through Friday. Then I was a sales clerk in a clothing store from 4pm – 10pm Monday through Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays I worked in the complaint department at the newspaper office from 8am -8pm (which is where I met my future husband).

3. I worked in the dining hall at Furman University for breakfast, lunch and dinner for four years to help pay my way. At reunions I don’t know if all of these people were my friends or if I just fed them for four years.

4. I hated the food so much when I came to Furman that I just stopped eating. (I was raised on my father’s Chinese cooking.) By Christmas of my freshman year, I weighed less than 100 pounds and was light headed and dizzy so they put me on probation. I was told that if I didn’t weigh over 100 pounds after Christmas, they wouldn’t let me return. I was put on a daily diet of chocolate peanut butter milk shakes during my final exams before Christmas break. When I returned from Christmas I weighed 105 lbs. so I was allowed to continue. (If I could only be that again!)

5. I never tried any illegal drugs. I am so allergic to so many things I was always afraid that if I ever tried, it would kill me.

6. I am afraid of the dark. When we go camping, my husband builds a campfire before it gets dark.

7. I am a very shy person and had an awful low self esteem for a long time. I was the youngest of three girls and was spoiled by them constantly. My sisters were ten and twelve years older than me so I never wanted for anything. By being spoiled, I was constantly given the impression that I couldn't do anything because they never let me do anything. I never learned to cook or sew or do anything athletic (I might get hurt). After my oldest sister died, my parents became even more overprotective. If you met me, you would think I was outgoing because that is how I have learned to act around people but inside I am usually trembling and doubtful thoughts are going through my head the entire time I am talking to you. I worry that I'm saying something stupid, what I look like, what if this person doesn't like me, do I really have anything worth sharing etc. I feel very self conscious and start yelling at myself in my head about why I put myself through this agony. Yet, later I have made wonderful friends and no one really ever knows what I had gone through to talk to them. I have worked on my own self esteem in order to help my students and it has really helped.

After I wrote this, I wasn't going to tag anyone. Then I started to think of who I hadn't read about yet and would like to more about so I am going to tag the following people:
Bill Gaskins of Blogging by the Bay
Vicki Davis of Cool Cat Teacher
Joel of So You Want to Teach