"Tag"

The word "tag" reminds me of being a kid--back when I was a tom-girl with blonde hair all the way down to my butt. One of my favorite games in gym was flag-football. I remember running, hair flying out behind me, trying to dodge any hands that came too close to the plastic flags stuck to my waist with the velcro belt that the gym teacher, Mrs. Stebe, handed out at the beginning of the hour. We played outside in the parking lot. But what flag-football reminds me of is a t-shirt that I was particularly fond of in first or second grade. It was red with a picture of Pebbles on it and read: "Anything boys can do, girls can do better." Even though I've grown up to believe in equality, at the time I was VERY proud of that shirt. It even started a "rumble." Boys against the girls in a game of TACKLE football. It got too rough and the game was brought to an quick end by the teachers. We were fierce! But I'll admit, even today, I am happy to have been the instigator of an elementary school revolution. The word "tag" reminds me of these sorts of things. Maybe that's why I like the word.

So anyway, here it is (thanks tara!):

What were 3 things when you were little you wanted to be when you grew up?

1. A Solid Gold Dancer--and I practiced often! Imagine this: 7 year old girl, brown shag carpet, red leotard with rainbow stripes, and a killer stereo system. How could I not want it?!
   
2. A Piano Teacher--I still remember standing on the curb in the sun waiting for my sister to get home from school. I think I must have wanted to tell her of my career decision, but all I remember is talking to myself about it. Oh, I had such passion to teach! It's no coincidence that it's what I'm doing now (although with words, not pianos). I remember the dirt and the scrubby grass, the tar, the blue sky, and my heart nearly leaping out of my chest in anticipation of growing up. I love that feeling. I still experience it. :)
   
3. A Zoologist--I wanted to go to Africa and study the gorillas like Dian Fossey.

You can live one day over again from your childhood. What day will it be?

The day I tried to build a raft like Huck Finn's. One summer we lived on a lake where I spent a lot of time playing in the woods and pretending to be a run-away. I guess I had a traveler's heart even at a young age. I spent most of the day collecting wood, dragging fallen trees from the woods to the lake. If I could do it over again I'd finish that raft. Who knows where it might have taken me.


You have two minutes (and a mover with you if you need heavy lifting help!) to grab 5 things from your home before it morphs into a polka dotted hobgoblin and hops away. What will you take? (Food/drink/family/friends excluded!)

1. My journals
2. My photo albums
3. My favorite red ceramic mug
4. My little Buddha statue--for good luck. It's about 2 inches tall and it's gone with me on every trip I've taken. Anyway, it would remind me that simplicity is good.
5. The wool cable knit sweater my mom hand-spun and knit for me.

You have to paint one quote on your kitchen wall. What's it going to be?

"Nothing is muddy that RUNS IN TIME..." ~Kerouac

I love this question and if I wasn't living in a rental I'd go ahead and actually paint it.


What is one thing you want to have accomplished by the end of this year?

1. GRADUATE!!!! (oh yeah, you all already know that)
2. I'd also like to travel somewhere interesting--preferably exotic.
   

You are moving to the moon for one year and can only bring one flower with you. What kind will you bring?

This is an interesting question for me because I grew up in a flower shop and spent much of my life working with flowers. As you can imagine, I've acquired quite a few favorites, but if I could have just one? It would be:
a wild iris.

You just received word that aside from one flower, you can also bring five books with you too! Your choices?
(Thank god--I can bring books too!)

1. The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac
2. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
   
3. Wild Mind by Natalie Goldberg
4. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
5. A great big anthology of women writers. But if I don't have time to order it from Amazon before being sent to the moon, then The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and Three By Annie Dillard. Oh, come on--my stack isn't that thick! Can't I have 6 books?!
   

Tag!:
Anyone who won't hate me for tagging! I'm curious about lots of you! Oh, come one. It's fun. It's ok to have fun. ;)