Sunday Stealing: The Promise

Today’s Sunday Stealing I called The Promise because I happened to be listening to a song called The Promise by Tracy Chapman when I started this post.

1. What ONE thing would you change about your life? How would your life be different?

The absence of pain in my knees, especially in my left one, and my feet. Maybe I would go for a walk with my wife sometimes. As it is, I walk to get from Point A to Point B, not for leisure or exercise. And if by necessity I walk too much, I am miserable for a couple of hours.

2.  What is the hardest thing you have ever done? Why was it hard for you? What did you learn?

I don’t know about EVER, but since I hate confrontation, one I had this year with someone was utterly out of necessity. The situation was eating me up and making me cranky.

3. Write about the most glorious moment in your life so far.

IDK. Maybe winning on JEOPARDY!

4. Write about a moment you felt brave.

I wasn’t feeling brave; I was feeling panicked. A toddler wandered between two cars, and I snatched them up. I would have felt awful if something had happened to the kid. So, at the moment, I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I, too, could have been hit by a car.

5. What made you happy today?

Writing this blog post. It’s my second today after having written only two others all week.

6. What did you dislike most about growing up?

I got poor grades in handwriting and art in elementary school. Although I was reasonably good at academic tasks then, it was rather deflating.

I grew up in a house numbered 5

7. Write about five activities you love the most and why you love them.

Singing in choir soothes my soul. Listening to recorded music soothes my soul. I like to help people figure out stuff, from bus schedules to what governmental agency they should contact, because I like to be helpful. Writing my blog allows me to offload stuff in my head. Reading the newspaper because, while I get my news other ways, it’s the method that imprints the best for me.

8. Do you have an embarrassing moment that still makes you cringe?

Yes, several, actually. But I’m not going to write about it here. It’s less out of a sense of embarrassment. It’s more because dredging them up will force me to relive them, and what’s the point of that? They already have a space in my brain and I needn’t make it toxic for me.

9. What has been your best trip so far?

Barbados, May 1999 honeymoon. It was beautiful at an all-inclusive resort.  And I won it by coming in second on JEOPARDY!

10. What traits (physical or personal) do people notice when they meet you for the first time?

I have no strong sense of how others perceive me. It often depends on the situation. If I’m at church or introducing a speaker at the library, I can be warm, friendly, and informative. But if I’m in an uncomfortable situation, I can be shy and quiet and hang around the room’s edges.

I still call it Twitter because X is stupid

11.  Is social media a blessing or a curse?

Yes, undoubtedly. I initially got on Facebook to track my niece Rebecca Jade’s musical adventures. Subsequently, I’ve met many folks online, including those I used to know IRL and those I’ve never met. But, beyond the stupid and intentionally deceitful, there’s a lot of “How can you think THAT?” It’s especially true about things of little consequence to them, such as who was snubbed at the Oscars or whether Taylor Swift is any good.

12. What is your greatest hope for your future? What steps can you take to make it happen?

I still have a foolish notion that democracy can work in the United States. To that end, I always vote and encourage others to do so as well, even those folks whose politics I disagree with.

13.  What did you struggle most with today?

Waking up. The change to Daylight Saving Time sucketh.

14.  Name the biggest priority in your life right now

I want to return to the genealogical research I haven’t touched in 2024.

Fingers on my left hand 

15. What are five things you wish others knew about you?

I’m inclined towards melancholia. Since I have at least 3K albums, I don’t have to always listen to the Beatles, even though I’m a boomer. I’m extraordinarily bad with names; everyone should wear nametags. When I get a notice that the Uber that’s picking me up is a white whatever make and model, I have no idea what that vehicle looks like except that it’s white. Increasingly, I need a lot more illumination.