It’s a shame to never allow others to understand you as a person.
Letting people form their own opinions of you based on assumptions and rumours just plain hurts.
For me, I’ll clear up some misconceptions. I’m not a snob; I’m shy around unfamiliar people. I’m not a b***h; I’m passionate.
So, here’s me in point form. An list of what’s shaped and molded me. What I’ve done – and I haven’t done. And events that have changed me.
- I’ve never tried smoking. Ever.
- I’ve never been drunk. The amount of alcohol I’ve consumed in my life is less than 250 ml. I don’t drink because I’m on anticonvulsants.
Near the middle of June 1994 when I was in grade 12, I drank the neck of a beer in Kinsmen Park. Labatt Black Ice. It was the worst.- That same day, I skipped my first class, which resulted in my first detention. Cleaning the hallways with a push-broom for three days.
- I once stood in Safeway’s jam aisle for 15 minutes trying to decide between apricot or peach jam. I chose peach.
- I have a double jointed, hitchhiker thumb.
- I was in speech therapy from kindergarten to grade six. I had trouble with “s” and “r.” I sounded like Elmer Fudd. In grade six, as my final test for therapy, I read “The Sugar-Plum Tree” by Eugene Field to my class.
After grade two, the school wanted to skip ahead into grade four. My parents decided to keep me with my friends.- The irony: I almost didn’t graduate on time.
- I used to be an amateur country singer.
- I was an anthem singer for the Winnipeg Goldeyes during their 1996 season, and Winnipeg Cyclone basketball during their 1996/1997 season.
- Often I have vivid dreams which I act out, and I talk in my asleep.
- I tried to get into Red River College’s Creative Communications [CreComm] program seven times. The record is 15, and the person changed their mind.
- My marks for my last semester of CreComm: all A’s and A+’s, except for Broadcast Journalism because of two autofails in graphics. When you spell a name wrong, you automatically fail the assignment. C+
- When I drove in Winnipeg’s downtown for the first time, I accidentally drove in the “Buses Only” section of Graham Mall.
- When I moved to Winnipeg in 1998 to look for an apartment, I came to a flashing red light and thought the street was closed and turned around.
- I cried everyday of grade two. [Maybe that’s why they wanted to pass me up a grade.]
- When I was 19 years old, I worked in a coffee factory folding boxes for $10 an hour.
- I started to drink coffee and tea when I was five years old. When I worked at the coffee factory, I drank six cups a day.
- If I’m passionate about something, I will express it until I’m out of breath or hoarse. And I’m long winded.
- In high school, a group of my friends and I were supposed to sing with Joey Gregorash. It never happened, but it’s a cool memory.
- I’ve had two brain tumours. And I have epilepsy. I prefer to tell people this while driving. I get a much better reaction.
- I was a photo-double for “Clara” in “Less than Kind.” The scene was shot in front of Rae and Jerry’s Steakhouse in Winnipeg.
- I had emergency surgery in 2004 because I broke my left elbow figure skating. Doing footwork. My first major skating injury.
- One of my worst fears is something happening to a former classmate and being assigned to report on it.
- Yes, I had a white wedding.
- In May 2013 when I lived in Edmonton, I had an interview with a mainstream broadcaster. I was told I’d start in two weeks, they just needed voice samples. I worked on the samples until I was hoarse. I never heard back.
- I had a CreComm crush – common while you’re in the program. But I never revealed who it was, even in the montage for the year end presentations.
- When I worked with CJOB, I took part in the Red River Speedway’s Media Challenge. Even though I came last, it was amazing.
- I met my husband on a blind date. My diary entry for that night: “One word: wow!”
29 then 40 