December Blogger Spotlight: Me

Welcome to my series in which I spotlight one of my followers. I’ve always had a deep fascination with people: how they became who they are, the struggles they won, and the hard lessons they learned over time. All of these scars and stories make up a person’s life. While I think it’s important to reflect on your own journey, it is also equally important to hear other voices and see diverse perspectives. In this series, the spotlighted blogger will be able to tell their story through curated questions I’ve asked of them.

Actually, this month’s blogger spotlight will be slightly different. I felt it fitting that the last spotlight of the year should be turned on me. Not for any reason other than all of the previous bloggers that I interviewed were so gracious, open, and honest with their answers that it made me feel like it’s something I could learn from as well. I am keeping my answers as short as possible! Here goes!

A Little About Me…

What do you always have with you no matter where you are?
Something to read. I find it horrifying to be waiting anywhere (even for a second) and not have a book to read. 

What is one thing you do now that you didn’t do 5 years ago?
Parent. I sometimes forget I have to do that!

What would you say you’re good at?
Perpsective. I always see the positive side or silver lining no matter the situation. And the rare times I don’t, I breathe and rely on perspective. This too shall pass. 

What is a common misconception that people have about you?
That I’m unhappy. I can’t tell you how many times strangers (almost always men) have felt the need to tell me to smile (often in rude or condescending ways). 

What do people tell you about yourself regularly that annoys you? Explain.
I’m 5’9 and a half. People often tell me I am tall, which is terrific because if not for other people there to state the obvious, I would be living a life of lies. LIES! Also, people often tell me I should play basketball because I AM SO TALL. I always want to tell them (if they are shorter) they should register for the mini-golf tournament! 

Random Questions…

What is the last thing you lied to your mother about?
That I was busy. I wasn’t busy.

If you could get to know anyone in your life, on a deeper level, who would it be and why?
I would have to say my grandmother and my mom. There’s a lot of history there I have no idea about and I’d love to pick their brains but things are complicated and it’s not so simple to delve into. Also, my husband. I’d like to know him on a deeper level because sometimes he does things like not put things away where they belong, locks the porch door latch and doesn’t pick up his phone, or forgets to bring me things even though I literally asked him two minutes prior and I look at him and wonder, “Seriously, who hurt you and why do you do this?”

What is the best compliment a stranger has ever given you?
Stranger or not, I find it a huge compliment when people think I am funny or I make them laugh. I made my daughter laugh the other day (she was in bed and laughed so hard she threw her head back onto her pillow and could barely compose herself for a couple minutes); it was delicious!

On Life So Far…

What was the worst job you’ve ever had and why? 
I’ve had so many jobs in my life but when I was about 16, I worked as a telemarketer making calls to random households from 5pm to 9pm. Every shift, you would be handed a list of names and numbers to call with a script to speed-read. I always got yelled at, people constantly swore at me over the phone, and a few times they passed me onto their toddler who would talk my ear off for a while. Once, I called a house asking to speak to Jesus. In Canada, we learn French not Spanish and this was before I took Spanish so I was a pretty ignorant kid about different accents and languages in general. I seriously thought someone named their kid after Christ. All I could hear was a heavy sigh on the other end and a click. Oops.

What was your biggest fear growing up and did you overcome it?
Death. And nope, still scared.

What is one thing you want to be better at?
To be less judgmental and to meet people where they’re at (figuratively).

What is the scariest thing that’s happened to you?
One day in my early teens, without any type of warning or explanation, my dad left and never came back. 

What would your younger self not believe about your life today?
That I would be married and have a family of my own. It was always a dream but a dream that always seemed unattainable. My whole life I always felt like the last kid picked to be on a team in gym class or eternally the unlucky girl. 

What did you wish for when you were a kid but in retrospect, glad you never had it?
My family was very poor growing up. We had very little in the way of luxuries and just survived on bare necessities. I wished for a lot of things when I was a kid: I wanted to live in a big house, to sleep in my own room, for my family to be rich, and I wanted an Easy Bake Oven. I also wanted an abundant Christmas, the way my friends often described their holidays after winter break. I never got any of these things and for a long time I resented my parents for it but I know they did the best they could with what they had. Ironically, the one thing I never appreciated when I was younger and often took for granted (and now I thank God every day that I was lucky enough to have in my life) are my sisters.

What life lesson took you the longest to unlearn?
Only you can define for yourself what success and happiness means.

What’s an important lesson you learned in your 20s?
Take up lots of hobbies and save, save, save!

What title would you give this chapter in your life right now?
Chapter 39: It could be worse.

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?
One of my first-ever bosses told me (in relation to training), “Don’t just tell people how to do something or what to do, explain to them why they need to do it too.” That’s helped me a lot professionally.

On Writing…

Why do you write? 
To connect and to express myself in written form. I like when people read something of mine and feel like they can totally relate to what I’m saying. I like the art and challenge of forming a sentence to convey feelings that are often difficult to illustrate. 

Do you consider yourself a writer?
I am starting to.

Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes, even though I never thought I was a good storyteller.

Do you have a favourite word?
Livid (sounds satisfyingly angry). Sandrine (a made-up word I use to describe things or people that are wholesome). Sequoia (I just like saying this word). 

What word, in your opinion, gets overused a lot?
I don’t know if this gets overused a lot but I hate the word “alas.”

Do you have to have natural talent to be a writer or do you think all it takes is good practice?
I think you can do many things well with good practice and discipline but I also think you have to love what you do and find passion in it (which often comes from a natural talent you may possess) for your work to shine. Even when you are driven and ambitious about a dream, the bulk of it is finding perseverance to see it through.

What three things do you think help you become a better writer?
Reading, learning, and seeing. You can’t write about that which you don’t know. Read lots of books to open your world, take note of different forms of communication, read other writers’ work (from amateur to professional), and pay attention to the world around you (relationships, landscapes, senses, emotions, nature, etc). 

Thanks for reading! 

Liked this post? Check out other popular posts on my blog:

• I Write, Therefore I Am.
• The Mighty
• Sister, Sister
• No Regrets
• Me, Myself & I

Read previous Blogger Spotlights below:

• January 2022
• February 2022
• March 2022
• April 2022
• May 2022
• June 2022
• July 2022
• August 2022
• September 2022
• October 2022
• November 2022

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