25 Random Things About Me
1. I am living in Massachusetts again, despite my adamant assertion that I never would!
2. At one time in my life at least, I seemed to attract “crazy” people. In my one year of “real” college, my roommate had a psychotic break, and eventually had to be taken to the hospital, strapped to a gurney, kicking and screaming. My dear, sweet friend who helped me deal with the aftermath of that experience hanged himself a year later. Fast forward a couple of years to another roommate in New York who, unbeknownst to our other roommate and myself, went “off her meds” and was found wandering our apartment, naked, singing, chanting and talking to archangels. Also taken to a hospital.
3. No matter how often I have tried to “reinvent” myself, it always comes out more like “recycling.”
4. I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) in 1991. And I got there via a very circuitous route through numerous New Age philosophies and Native American spiritualism.
5. I lost several of my friends due to my “conversion,” who either made assumptions about what that meant for my personality, or made assumptions that we wouldn’t be able to survive having “differences.”
6. I was bullied incessantly in grade school and junior high, and in 8th grade, had a best friend who “defected” to the bully side in order to be accepted. But then wasn’t, really.
7. Watertown High School, particularly the I.D.S. program, probably saved my life. It was the first time I made real friends. PLURAL.
8. My two favorite things in high school (other than the fact that I had friends): Metropathways and Al Cremin. Metropathways was a diversity program out of Boston that brought HS students from all over the area into Boston for weekly classes (mine was Music) that excused kids from their regular school schedule. It LITERALLY rocked. Al was my Drama/Dance teacher and (I feel) my friend, even back then. He revolutionized the way drama was done in my school, and brought my group to victory at a statewide drama competition. He is still one of my heroes.
9. I attended and graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City. And it’s not nearly as impressive as it looks on paper. In fact, my “diploma” from them literally said: “Kathleen Thornton has completed TOTAL TRAINING IN THEATER…” So, what? I have nothing else to learn? I can just hand in my certificate and get a performing job?
10. I secretly wish I could just hand in my certificate and get a performing job. :)
11. I can do a WICKED lateral lisp voice, and long ago created a creepy character to go along with it!
12. Despite my desire to be otherwise, I depend WAY too much on what others think of me.
13. I have adopted a rather “traditional” role in my life: that of a stay-at-home, homeschooling mother of three. I have (marginal) knowledge of how to can my own fruits and vegetables, sew and knit. I also have over 600 pounds of hard red wheat stored in my house, which I have just started grinding into flour to make my own bread with. Scary, eh?
14. My children are the joy of my life.
15. I graduated from high school in 3 years rather than 4 – not due to any outstanding brilliance on my part, but to the fact that I had enough credits to do so. As a result, I felt like a girl with two countries. I didn’t ever feel that my graduating class knew me very well, as I had spent 2/3 of my time there with my other class.
16. Despite the perception others have of me as being extremely outgoing, I’m really a closet wallflower. I am very much a “comfort zone” person, and I have to really force myself to reach out to new people.
17. I use too many “quotation marks” when I write. That, plus other literary affectations (I’m addicted to the BOLD feature of my word processor and love parentheses), because I feel like it makes my writing “sound” more like my speech. (see?) :)
18. Besides English, the only other language I have ever been fluent in is American Sign Language.
19. The farthest I have traveled is Hawaii – Maui, twice, specifically, and it is my favorite place on earth. My memories of my short time there are so tactile, even almost 20 years later, that all it takes is a strain of music or a particular scent to bring me right back there – and bring me to tears.
20. I have overcome many vices in my life. Caffeine is not one of them. Neither is junk food.
21. I learned the unfortunate habit of putting myself down before someone else beats me to it. I have turned it into an art form, however.
22. In that vein, I can tell you that fat people are NOT jolly. Don’t get me started on Plus Size clothing, either.
23. Though I have made countless mistakes in my life, I don’t regret any of them, because they all brought me to where I am now. If any of the steps in my life had been different, I most likely wouldn’t have met my wonderful husband, or had my amazing children. I have also learned that many of those “mistakes,” while I wouldn’t repeat them, make up some of my fondest memories.
24. I have figured out that deep down (sometimes very deep), I am honestly an extremely joyful and satisfied person. I have also figured out that what I tend to focus the most on, sometimes, are the outer layers of stress and disappointment and sorrow that mask who I am on a fundamental level.
25. I know that my faith in and reliance on God are actually stronger than I usually admit.
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