Ten Things Meme

I just rediscovered this meme and thought I would share it with you. You may participate if you wish. Using these categories, you follow each beginning statement with 10 different ending of your own...ten things. So here goes....

I have lived in Mississippi, Arizona, Tennessee, Alabama, South Dakota, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Florida, and Bermuda.

I have witnessed the protests at the court house following the shooting of Martin Luther King Jr in Memphis; St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC, winning the trophy for best float in the PRIDE parade, the arrest of undocumented immigrants, the abandonment of a child by its mother at a soup kitchen, the face of a baby only 15 minutes old held in my arms (my nephew), the death of a close friend from AIDS, the space shuttle lift off in both day and night; the riots at Ole Miss when James Meredith was admitted there as the first black student; the counting of ballots at a city election; the death of a woman with Alzheimer’s from starvation because she no longer knew how to swallow.

I have heard Maya Angelou read her poetry; Peter, Paul and Mary/Joan Baez/James Taylor/Eric Clapton sing (not at the same concert); my father preach an excellent sermon while drunk; my mother cry; my best friend sing and play the guitar the day before he died; a cat purring next to me; a lion roar (albeit in a zoo); the sound of a jet boat’s exhaust/rumbling for almost an hour at which time I was ready to throw rocks at the driver; the trumpets on the organ in St. John the Divine when I was right in front of them; the silence in the eye of a hurricane; the laughter of children.

I have lost my fear of spiders (unless they are actually on me); my way while on a trip and driven an hour before I realized I was going the wrong direction; all of my immediate blood family; my godson to cocaine; my concern about what people think about me (most of the time); my respect for many super-stars; my desire for Coca-Cola every day; my faith in God for a while; two husbands to divorce; my desire to drink liquor.

I have found the love of my life; a happiness that I never dreamed existed; therapists to help me over the rough spots of memories and the problems they trigger in everyday life; medication that helps me feel well; doctors who care about my health and do things to make me well; great joy in riding a jet ski; peace in watching a creek and the ocean; that money can make a difference in people’s lives; friends/family of choice that make my life great; and music for all occasions.

I love bread; 70s rock music; my partner; our home; the little red Prius; thrift shopping; clothes, writing; two very spoiled cats who live with us; and people.

I can drive a semi; set type by hand; take award-winning photographs, make jewelry; tell stories; do fund raising; lift 100 pounds; cry in public; talk about intimate things with strangers and friends (their things or mine); stick to a budget.

I loathe gloating; cooked spinach; the smell of cinnamon; large cruise ships; lies; bass stereo sounds that vibrate my chest; war; stupidity; people who talk all the time; my inability to adapt to change sometimes; ?

I hope to skid into heaven laughing all the way; to do a bit more traveling before I’m too old and stiff to go; to maintain my friendships; the “family stuff” will have meaning for a generation without the stories; this thunderstorm cools off the temperature a little bit; to have a good night’s sleep;

I am trying to lose weight for the first time in my life; to choose my volunteer activity carefully; to take care of my health; to trust God; to be faithful in my promises to my partner and my friends; to be a good steward of all my blessings; to be grateful even when I’m depressed; not to scream at the cat when he irritates me; not to worry about things past or things future.