25 Things
1. Did you ever have random moments when you were a child where you caught yourself in a really deep thought like, ‘Why are we here?’ I remember having one when I was three. It was one of the last memories I have at that young of an age.
2. When I was a baby, literally, a baby I was taken to the beach. My mother forgot to put the sunscreen on or forgot to cover me up. Whichever one it was doesn’t matter. I burned. Badly. I was rushed to the hospital. To this day, I am not afraid of the sun itself and have continued to sunburn throughout the years. I am, however nervous in tanning beds. Strange?
3. In various notebooks and a computer I lost I have written chapters for each person I’ve ever met in my life. I plan to compile this into a novel someday. Some chapters have to be re-written due to loss of notes or loss of friendship. Don’t worry, I’ve changed your name.
4. I woke up one morning just over a year ago and decided I hated my life. I hated my job and everything I was doing. As of 2009, I’m on a completely new path in my life and love everything about it. Change was hard and drastic but absolutely worth it.
5. I still get shy and nervous around people I’ve known for years. I still haven’t figured out what that’s about yet…
6. I fall asleep in cars easily. My mother tells me she would put my sisters and I in the car when we were babies and drive around when we were cranky. We would cry for a few minutes and then the sounds and vibrations of the car would put us to sleep.
7. I believe the world should have less speed bumps and more diners. Not because I’m in a rush, but more so the world can slow down. I think people should be forced to slow down and think about things over a cup of coffee and some pie instead of in a parking lot. It could work.
8. I’ll be honest. A list of 25 things seems like a lot at the moment. I’ll pause on number 8 and then continue.
9. Should riots ever break out in the small city of Campbell, CA the first thing I’m going to do is burn the condo I grew up in to the ground. Of course, stupid me, now it’s probably not a good idea since I just posted it in a blog.
10. I miss having coffee with friends/family. When I was younger I would sit all day long at coffee shops doing various things. I would get to hear the greatest stories, I would write the best things down on paper, I would see amazing artwork and having intellectual conversations. I laughed a lot. Once the bar opened up to most of us, the coffee shop became a last resort. I have a feeling in about ten years it will come full circle and I’ll be sitting at a coffee shop again. I can’t wait.
11. Some days, in fact most days, I want to do so many different things at once that I become overwhelmed and doing nothing at all. A few days ago I got nervous and panicked thinking about how much time I’ve wasted and how much more I want to do. That’s a much different and longer list than this one.
12. I love lists. Mainly, top 5.
13. I love reading and have a terrible memory. Despite the memory, four books will never leave my mind when thinking of really good books I’ve read. Enders Game, Jitterbug Perfume, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and The Long Walk. Thinking about it now I wonder what the common thread is between all of these books that allows me to remember them so well…
14. I wish people would write more letters to each other. I was thinking of a website that would allow you to send letter(s) to one specific address, (so strangers don’t know where you live) and then they would be directed to other random people across the world. You could get letters from people all over, knowing nothing about them and finding out all kinds of goodies.
15. Today, I’m wearing a beanie hat. I never wear hats. I could look stupid but enjoy wearing this one for the first time ever. I’m keeping it on.
16. My legs have poor circulation. I excercise to help with that, but lately Im obsessing one of my legs will fall off or something.
17. I love earthquakes. They’re exhilerating. I guess I secretly like it when my world gets shaken up a bit.
18. One day, I’ll meet Stephen King and he’ll say to me, “Great book. I wish I had written it.”
19. I hate the feel of paper, mostly newspaper and those bags you get at the grocery store. I worked around tons of paper for ten years. Now, I wear finger condoms if I have to touch stacks of papers.
20. I feel like I’m way too distant with my own family. Most of them make me nervous and uncomfortable. My mom’s side makes me laugh a lot. Everyone else’s family is always easier to get out of my shell with.
21. I have an addiction to coffee. I’m sure everyone says that, but even with a lump in my breast and doctors orders for no caffeine I still drink it.
22. I have the same problem with cheese. So much so, my gallbladder had to be removed at the age of 28. Very uncommon for someone my age.
23. I often wonder why I’m here and come up with a different purpose almost everyday. Most days, the answer is to either help someone get through something or to learn enough about tough situations to help other people. The other days, I tell myself I was a bad person in a past life and am being punished now. 
24. I want to be the best at everything. Not only the best I can be but better than you. It’s good motivation, however at most times it makes me loose sight of the actual knowledge and loose out on possible friendships.
25. I like being alone, wandering around alone, and quiet time. Regardless of my wants I feel alone and don’t like that feeling. Go figure.
1.) Yes, I remember being about 5 years old sitting in the kitchen by the window watching the rain hit the panes of glass thinking, “when i die, that’s it. there isn’t anything after that. i’ll just be buried and decompose.”
2.) When I was a very small boy, living in Phoenix, Az I was in the backseat of my parent’s car and this car had those metal seatbelt buckles. It was summer and I was wearing shorts. I ended up getting a serious burn on my thigh. I still have the scar today.
3.) I made the grave mistake of not backing up several poems and lost them forever when writerscafe.org crashed a few years ago.
4.) I have started a new journey that is very difficult, to address some of my personal issues that have kept me from success and healthy relationships.
5.) I totally get nervous around people I’ve known for years.
6.) My parent’s tell me a story about how I used to fall asleep in the car as a baby coming home from church but that after awhile it took longer and longer for the car to lull me to sleep. soon they were driving 5 miles out of their way to get home. lol.
7.) I think diners are fabulous. I also think this new trend (I’m looking at YOU denny’s) of loud flat screen tvs blaring in every corner needs to stop now. don’t they know people come there to talk about the purpose of life? How can we do that with constant commercials?
8.) 25 is a lot.
9.) If riots ever break out I’m moving to Portland, Oregon. Of course, We’ll probably move out there eventually anyway.
10.) I remember coffeshop days fondly. There was a golden time when there wasn’t any drama and there was this really amazing cool vibe and coffeshop owners knew you by name and you had a tab you could just keep going indefinitely and there was poetry, and love, and art. and and and.
11.) I feel totally overwhelmed quite often myself. I find this a the center of my current writer’s block. I have so many story ideas but no impetus to devote significant time to any of them.
12.) I love lists too. They can help get you through the day, and they are also like really condensed interviews.
13.) I love books too! I agree that so many books get turned into memory mumbles. Ender’s Game is a favorite of mine as well and has stayed with me. So has Faranheit 451. Ultimate favorite book has to be Lord of the Rings.
14.) I’m a total hypocrit when it comes to letters. I am a romantic at heart and think that more letters should be sent yet I never write any myself. I’m an avid texter (read: addict) and that is so anti- pen & stamp correspondance.
15.) I miss wearing hats. That’ll be one of the pros when I go back to a buzz cut. Cute hats will be mine once again!
16.) I’m a hypochondriac and usually think the worst when anything feels strange. I’m better than I used to be but still…
17.) Earthquakes scare me! I still find them exciting though. Coming from AZ, earthquakes and fog amaze me all the time.
18.) One day I’ll meet John Williams and he’ll say, “beautiful score my friend.”
19.) Paper doesn’t really bother me. You think I WOULD have a problem with it considering I was a paperboy and worked for my dad who was a printer. Hmmm.
20.) I am still pretty estranged from my extended family. I am in touch with my cousin, Heather, and I’ve reconnected with my parents after a significant silence of 2 years. I’ve never really had a huge sense of family.
21.) I love caffeine. I love coffee. Aside from Thai iced tea, it is one of my favorite beverages.
22.) You are now the 3rd person I know who has had their gallbladder removed. Weird.
23.) I can relate to this. I really have no idea why I’m here or what my purpose is. I do like helping people and I think that sometimes I’m here to be there for the people who feel like their story hasn’t been heard.
24.) I am a total perfectionist. I have come to realize this is because I am a codependent person and because I was raised with totally unreasonable expectations. I am now learning how to be ok with being human.
25.) I have always struggled with my conflicting feelings for acceptance, socialization, and self reflection. I think I’ve used “being alone” in a manipulative way to draw attention to myself. On the other hand, sometimes I really do just need some time to be with my own thoughts and opinions.
Brian R / Amy E
November 26, 2010 at 10:41 am