Q&A a Day: What makes “you” you? This seems like such a loaded question.

I’m the girl with the loud laugh; the one who cuts herself with any blade larger than a paring knife; I’ll try to think before I speak and realize it’s too late; I’ll be nice for too long even after the person is mean or annoying; I have a hard time saying no, regardless of scheduling conflicts; I’ll procrastinate a bit but never wait till the last-minute; I’ll eavesdrop on a conversation, especially if it’ll make me laugh or if I can help answer a question; I’m the first person to take it a step too far, but only in most situations.

I find it easier to get along with those outside my age range, sometimes by 20 years or more; I love hugs and always hug the person with the sign; I think about others quite often and wonder how well I know them as most days I wonder if I know myself; I’m constantly pretending to get rid of things while Caleb is actively collecting them; I love when I’m super motivated but it comes in waves (for balance); I love the way skunks smell and babies laugh; I love relationships with people but don’t always try enough.

Most days I feel like a teenager even though I’ve been an adult technically for a decade. I’ve been described as lovely, lazy, daring, caring, adventurous, curious, unreliable, dangerous, absurd, spirited, mercurial, cute, hungry, full of life, crazy, weird, unromantic, stinky, athletic, short, beautiful, narcissistic, sweet, helpful, strong, skilled, naive, nerdy, trustworthy, funny, memorable, awkward, sexy, confusing, positive, talkative, outgoing, social, loving, spontaneous, honest, over sharing, and fast.

I’m always up for trying something new; apparently my eyes smile; I’m terrible at gifting and being formal; I baby talk my dogs but am too forward with kids; I brush off broken bones as mere bruises; I always pick up the penny. The simple answer: my DNA, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been, the food I’ve eaten, the scars I’ve acquired, the memories I’ve made, the secrets I’ve kept, and the friends I’ve forgotten. My curiosity,  kindness, and ability to be random have gotten me the farthest.

My rambling of words whether thought, spoke, or written. I’ve always loved reading. The things I’ve done and the stuff yet to happen will define the following years. I will want to look back on this post and yesterday’s in a decade and see how I’m coming along. What’s that quote… “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” And this is what makes “me” me.