A few months back I was nominated by Gypsysoulsun for the Sunshine Blogger questionnaire thing… Okay, I don’t actually know much about this but I like it all the same. It seems to be that there are eleven questions posted to by Gypsysoulsun. I answer them and then post my own questions for other bloggers. Since this has been on my to-do list for a couple of months I’m going to just answer her questions and encourage anyone else to do the same! Not great at forwards but I always enjoy a questionnaire form a beautiful goddess.

Here goes nothing.

Her 11 Questions… Caution: Honesty lies ahead…

1. Do you use any excuse to dress up or get into a costume or character or do you find the whole idea of dressing up loathsome?  I love finding reasons to dress up, but honestly, it’s never when people expect. If you catch me in October, I can Rocky Horror with the best of them. I love to look at costumes during Comic-Con but I have never dressed up for it myself. I love finding small non-reasons to costume and be goofy but don’t generally dress up for more traditional reasons. I was a theatre kid, so finding some dramatic excuse is where I’m at. I like to add a little flair to my everyday. Fun earrings, or sparkly nail polish. Why set aside a specific day when you can have fun all the time?
2. Are you a morning person or late night person? I’m a daydreamer and a night thinker. I’ve struggled with insomnia off and on most of my life. I can stay up for 36 hours and not bat an eye, but getting me up in the morning is rough. I’m definitely a routine person – this has helped me be a successfully contributing member of society. Shower, coffee, more coffee, clothes, makeup, more coffee, breakfast. As long as I don’t deviate too much, I get out the door wearing all the right clothes and carrying the bag I packed the night before.
3.  Name one place where you immediately feel at peace and content and why? Can I pick two or three places? You know… my blog, I’ll do what I want. I love book stores. Any book stores. They bring immediate quiet to my mind. I love getting lost among the bookshelves. It’s some combination of the endless adventure that awaits and the smell of long-dead trees. It might sound dumb but I love Universal Studios. Maybe it’s because I’m on vacation when I go, or because I get to immerse myself in another world for that time, but when I move through that final turnstile, my stomach does a flutter and a smile pastes to my face. I’ve been too many times to count and it doesn’t take away from the feeling that washes over. Utter contentment. Lastly, the beach. I stop by one of a couple beaches, four or five days a week on my drive home. Whatever weighs on my mind vanishes with the first wave that crashes. The beach is definitely my meditation time.
4. Name a piece of art whether it be a book, poem, painting, sculpture, music that changed your life- what was the impact on that moment you encountered it? There was once a… I’ll call it art… which was a picture of a woman carrying a sign. The sign basically said, if you don’t like your life, change it. If you don’t like your job – stop complaining and find a new one. If you don’t like where you live – move. If you are unhappy it’s within your capacity to change your situation. I was miserable at my job and having regular panic attacks due to severe anxiety and PTSD brought about by work. I went into my workplace the next day and gave them 30 days notice. I learned something that day and I’ve carried it with me every single day since. Your life is in your hands. Only you can make a change to fix it or better yourself. No one said life was going to be easy. But it is all a choice. It took years but I learned how to live for me. How to be happy and grateful for what I have and who I am. I made some changes and never looked back.
5. Do you care about what you wear and how you look? I think most people do and I think those who don’t are lying. Will it stop me from wearing something whimsical or because I and I alone like it? Not in the least.
6. What is one attribute you judge other people on? How they treat people in the service industry, animals, and random strangers. You can tell a lot about a person’s character based on the way someone treats those who might be perceived as “less than” them. I will lose respect for a person quickly who simply lashes out at someone because they can.
7. Do you have the capacity to hate? Yes. I’m of this belief that we all have the capacity to love deeply. I’m also of the belief that there’s balance in the world. If we all have the capacity to love deeply, then we also must have the capacity to hate. I would rather forgive and move on with my life if given the option. For myself. Life is too short to sit in the bad stuff for too long. I’d rather not waste more time than necessary on such things. But yes, I do believe I have that capacity.
8. When you die what do you think people will say about your life? She had so many adventures. Whatever she put her mind to, she accomplished. She was kind, she was honest, she would make you look in a mirror, and she helped people. <— Something like that would be nice. And if my friends remember, the obit will read that I was assassinated. Only important people are assassinated and I’m important damnit.
9. What legacy do you hope to leave behind? There are a few ways I’d like to leave a legacy. First, I don’t believe that children or an empire are the only ways to accomplish this. The first person who believed in my ability to tell a compelling story was my sophomore English teacher. I remember his encouragement and I remember him telling me he wanted the first copy of my novel. He believed in me in a way no one ever had. He passed a few years ago and I regret having not told him how much his words meant to me. If I could leave that kind of legacy, give someone the courage to believe in themselves, I would be happy. Also, if I’m in a position at my death to leave ANY and all organs, skin, eyes, whatever to help save or improve a life, I would do so.
10. What is your most favorite thing to do right now? This might come across a bit backward… but my favorite thing recently has been going out without my best friend. Don’t get me wrong, I love hanging out with him. He’s my sounding board, my tear catcher, a well of happy memories, and he pushes me to be my best self. He will tell me when I have a booger in my nose and he will tell me when my hair really does look like shit. He’s the kind of best friend anyone would be lucky to have, but I get to call mine. Lately, however, my favorite thing has been going out with someone else. For now that’s all you get internet void.
11.  Are you done learning and growing? The one thing I can say with utter certainty, is the more I learn, the more I know without a shadow of a doubt, I know nothing at all. I will be the first to admit when I don’t understand something. I think if I can learn one thing every day, I’m doing okay. But I’m nowhere near done growing and learning. Change is the one constant in life.