Month: September 2018

Who do I look up to / respect the most and why?

I can’t answer this specific question. Because there are people who I “should” respect or who think I do respect them and I most certainly do not. Although I guess I respect them enough not to publicly make it known I don’t respect them. And for the ones I do respect (there is no way in hell I could ever narrow it down to JUST one), I would start listing them and inevitably forget someone. Which again, would lead to hurt feelings or bad relationships and I’m not into that.

So, instead, I have thought about everyone I do respect and why I respect them. And I have put together a list of qualities that I respect:

I respect someone who is honest. Someone who does what they say they are going to do. Someone who admits when they are wrong. Someone that will tell you things you don’t want to hear.

Piggy backing off that last statement, though, I respect someone who tells you at the right time and with love.

I respect someone who sees potential in other people and somehow knows how to walk the magical line between pushing them past their comfort zone but respecting them, their wishes, and their space.

I respect someone who, even at their breaking point, does not resort to yelling, name calling, or intentionally hurting someone just because they are pissed off.

I respect someone that helps other people out by helping them help themselves.

I respect a leader who takes the time to know their people and who defends their people—no matter who they are defending them against.

I respect someone who has hard lines / personal boundaries. It doesn’t make much difference to me what those lines/boundaries are. I respect someone who, for example, says they don’t drink. And no matter what setting they are in, no matter what peer pressure there is, no matter what kind of day they are having, they don’t drink.

I respect someone who can see the bigger picture.

I respect leaders/bosses/authority figures that are fair.

I respect people who try to bring out the best in other people.

I respect people who put in the work to make it to the top. And once at the top, are still willing to do the jobs of those below them, when/if needed.

I respect people who know and can admit when they are in over their head.

I respect anyone who asks for help.

I respect anyone fighting any kind of disease or mental illness and gets up every single day and attempts to be a better person than they were the day before.

I respect people who are raw, real, genuine, sincere, and who are not afraid of being vulnerable.

I respect people that are polite to waiters/waitresses, cashiers, customer service agents, etc

I respect people that tip well.

I respect people that take a genuine interest in other people and make them feel like they are important and valuable.

The last post about favorite memories got me thinking about my favorites, in general. In most cases it is extremely hard for me to pick JUST ONE favorite thing. And we’ve all seen the Facebook posts, Pepsi or Coke, Coffee or Water, Summer or Winter, etc. So, here is my list:

Favorite Possessions:

1. Cross Necklace
2. Diamond Ring
3. Mobird
4. OS Shadow Circle
5. Shotglass from Isreal
6. Letters from my dad while I was in bootcamp
7. Letters from Corey when he was in rehab
8. Pictures

Favorite Bands:

1. Matchbox 20
2. Third Eye Blind

Favorite Books:

1. I Am Not Myself These Days
2. The Iron Druid Chronicles

Favorite Places:

1. Costa Rica
2. The beach

Favorite Car:

1. Shelby Mustang

Favorite Animals:

1. MY dog
2. Dolphins
3. Turtles
4. Penguins
5. Monkeys

No Category:

1. Sunsets
2. Waterfalls
3. Rainbows

Want to know what else I like or why? Just leave a comment.

As you all know, I posted on Facebook awhile ago asking family/friends to ask me anything. One of those questions was “What’s your favorite memory and why?”

Wow. Does anyone have just ONE favorite memory? I thought and thought and thought about it and I think I can narrow it down to 10. Maybe. Let’s see:

1. Our family went up to Minnesota every year for vacation. We went the last week of July & first week of August. The entire family went and some family friends. We stayed at the same resort every year and we were friends with the resort owners. When I was in Jr. High my Grandpa built a house up there and sometimes some people stayed with him. My very first crush was my Grandpa’s Friend’s son, Ryan. Ryan was 10 years older than me, but that did not matter. I followed him around like a lost puppy dog for a long, long time. As I got older, I’d like to say (I hope) I got less annoying…the crush still remained. I have many, many good memories in Minnesota, but the ones that really stand out are when I rode the 4-wheeler with Ryan, when we played Jeopardy, and when hung out. These aren’t my favorite memories b/c I had a crush on him, but rather b/c he never treated me any different b/c of that. And as I got older, we would talk and joke around and some-what confide in each other…and he made me feel important. And that was a really good feeling. Especially as an awkward, nerdy teenager. The fact that a hot, really funny guy actually spent time with me, that meant a lot.
2. Sabine Pass, Texas. My first station in the Coast Guard. I should do an entire blog just on that. Again, so many memories, it’s hard to pick one favorite. I think it would have to be New Year’s 2006, though. Corey and I were JUST friends, but we always joked around that we would have to make out sometime when we were drunk b/c I had never kissed a guy with a tongue ring before. Well, New Years Corey kissed me shortly after midnight (not at midnight cuz he was kissing every hot girl at the club, lol). He pecked me on the cheek and I looked at him and was like “really?!?” Then, unexpectedly, he picked me up, spun me in a circle, told me he loved me and laid one on me!! And guess what?!? He wasn’t wearing his tongue ring that night…
3. Bodega Bay with Steve during A-School. It was where we went to get away from all the stress in our lives. We sat and drank on the beach and talked…got to know each other….relied on each other.
4. Costa Rica.
5. The first time I ever played roulette with Corey and then the first time I played with Calvin.
6. My first trip to Vegas. Calvin and I shopping and feeling like Pretty Woman. Hitting on the gay guy at the pool. The foam party. Jumping off the Stratosphere.
7. Omg, speaking of jumping….the 4 times I’ve skydived
8. Jana and Matt’s Wedding. Dancing all night with Aaron.
9. My first visit to Boston. Steve showing me what real Bostonians do. His entire family taking care of me.
10. Mike and I’s first trip to Pismo. Oh that is probably tied with our trip to Lake Tahoe.

I know I didn’t elaborate on all of these. If you want to know more, please leave a comment, I’d be happy to go into more details.

It’s too hard to pick one favorite memory. I will tell you what almost all 10 of these favorite memories have in common, though…in almost all of them, someone made me feel special. Someone took an interest in me and made me feel loved. The most important things in my life are my friendships…especially the friends that have became family. And these are the memories and the things that led us to that point.