7 Traits

I got tagged by Teacherwoman to list 7 personality traits about myself, and because I have no other bloggy-ideas, I figure today is a great day to do this meme. So, here goes:

1. Independent.
I think that perhaps because I'm the oldest child or perhaps because my parents are divorced, I was prompted to take on responsibility and self-sufficiency from an early age, and I have always thought of myself as capable of taking care of myself. Thus, my sense of Independence is vital to my sense of identity. I think this part of my personality is why I enjoy teaching college so much: I am essentially my own boss. I also think this part of me is also why I had to marry someone like Jerry who would allow me to maintain that sense of identity; for instance, I didn't take his last name and we keep our finances separate.

2. Easy Going*
I'm pretty laid back, flexible, and generally "go with the flow." And few things really upset me. I remember once when Jerry and I were first dating, my car got broken in to, and he was with me when I came outside to discover windows smashed in and the stereo gone. My reaction? "Oh, shoot." He couldn't believe how casually I handled it. But really, why get upset? The deed was done. Nothing to do but go about fixing things.

3. Optimistic*
I always believe that good things will happen for me and those I am close to. Yes, I understand that bad things happen in this world, but in general, things seem to have a way of working themselves out to positive ends. This optimism is also tied into my sense of karma and good luck: I just seem to have good luck. For example, I used to always boast that I was indestructible. This boasting was based on some significant examples of me narrowly escaping what should have been disastrous circumstances. The best illustration of this was when I was in a car accident my freshman year of college. I rolled my car, was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the car (thrown through the driver's side window), and the worst I suffered? I chipped my front tooth. That's it. Landed in a soft pile of snow. Granted, I am no longer a reckless teenager who doesn't wear her seat belt, but I figure if I can walk away from that, things will turn out just fine.

4. Hard Working
I am average in every sense of the word, but I have worked hard at things I felt were important to me, and I believe that hard work and determination count for WAY more than natural ability when we set our sights on achieving a goal.

5. Contemplative
Some would also label this "absent-minded" or "poor at paying attention" because I often let my mind wander. This is often a trait that is irksome to Jerry since it's the part of me that allows me to walk out of the house without remembering to close the door behind me, or locking myself out of the house or car. But, I'm really not that bad at paying attention and I listen better than people may perceive; it's just that I may give the impression of not listening because I may be thinking of something else as you're speaking to me.

It's this part of my personality that is especially fed by running, though: When I'm running, my body is engaged in it's own thing and my brain is free to roam. It's really a nice, relaxing feeling. I also think it's this part of my personality that allows my brain to be creative. Thinking about things allows me to always remain curious about the world and ponder questions. I also think it's this part of my personality that makes me such an avid reader: reading allows me a focused way of being contemplative. I read something; I think about it; it opens up my mind to new possibilities, ideas, worlds, and perspectives.

6. Organized
This may seem somewhat contradictory following the above characteristic, but I really am an organized person. My house is neat and clean and everything has its place. I am very organized at work: I keep separate folders for each of my classes, and I have never (in 9 years of teaching) lost a student's paper, test, or quiz. I am always on time (often a few minutes early). And I have never paid a bill late in my life. I always keep careful track of appointments, due dates, birthdays, holidays, travel itineraries, and deadlines.

7. Outgoing and Sociable
Like anyone, I enjoy my alone time, but I am, primarily, a people person. Again, I think this is why I enjoy teaching because I get to meet lots of people, and they are new people each term, which makes it far more interesting. I like hanging out with friends, and I think I make new friends or acquaintances with relative ease, and I get along well with a wide-range of people. I like to try new things, go new places, eat new and different foods, and in general, I embrace the whole "eat, drink and be merry" attitude.

*These traits have been skewed by pregnancy. Never in my life have I felt the kind of anxiety, worry and impatience that I have felt in the course of the past 38 weeks. I'm hoping that once the baby is here, these parts of my personality return to a better level of normalcy for me.*

So, part of the tag means that I have to tag 7 others to do the same and list 7 of their personality traits, but I don't know who's done it and who hasn't, so if you haven't done it and would like to, consider yourself "tagged"!