Great Moments Move Through You

Everybody’s doing these things, and I’m down with the bandwagon as much as anybody. I debated on whether or not to post it here, but I figure the only people reading are doing so because they know me, not because they Googled “deep political insight” or “the meaning of life” or anything.

25 Things About Me That You May or May Not Find Interesting Or Already Have Figured Out By Simply Having A Conversation of Length With Me (Because I’m Not That Great at Hiding My Personal Hang Ups)

1. The “economics of life” boil down to a very simple equation for me: you round down for money, up for time. For example, if something costs $22.00, my brain says that it costs $20. However, if I look at the clock and see that it is 7:39, my brain processes it as being 8:00. My wife is perplexed by this, but I have this solid rationale: you’ll always make more money, you’ll never get more time.
2. As hinted in #1, I’m a bit obsessed with time and how I spend it. Life is beautiful, and short, and I don’t like wasting moments. I am fiercely guarded of my free time, because I have a strong desire to do (admittedly) too much with my life.
3. I haven’t vomited since early June of 1999. I was in the Bahamas at the time. I don’t remember the last time I vomited in the continental US. 2009 = Vomit Free for 10 years! Here comes 15, baby!
4. Love at first sight? Not practical. But I had a suspicion that I could fall in love with my wife the night I met her. And a year later, when I finally kissed her, I knew I loved her immediately.
5. I have one tattoo, and it means something very important to me. “Great Moments Move Through You” is a sort of mantra for how I want to live — every moment carries the possibility for greatness if you’re willing to seek it. And I plan on getting at least one more tattoo. (sorry mom, but don’t worry — it won’t be on my face or anything.)
6. I need to pace when I talk or think hard. This is not entirely conducive to working in a shared office or dealing with computers.
7. I am most proud of three things I’ve created: First, the EP I recorded with Avenues in 2004. Second, my poetry portfolio from college. Third, an awesome paper I wrote for Critical Reading and Writing that applies deconstructionist literary theory to R.E.M.’s “Murmur.”
8. I try not to care about material things. And I’m mostly pretty successful in this, but man, I really love buying records.
9. Traveling makes me feel small and makes life feel full of motion. I’d rather use my vacation days to go on whirlwind trips with lots of moving than use all my days to go sit on the same piece of beach for 5 days straight. (Not that I’m complaining about the idea of beach sitting. I’m not crazy.)
10. The most amazing place I’ve ever seen is Glacier National Park, from foot, carrying a backpack. Second is Point Reyes at sunset.
11. I have a life goal of owning a second home in Wyoming.
12. I love backpacking, for three reasons: buying the gear is fun, I love great views, and sunny mornings crawling out of a tent feel SO GOOD.
13. I’ve never been an athlete, but rock climbing makes me feel athletic and challenges me mentally, and (as hokey as it sounds) has been a life-changing hobby.
14. I’m a bit obsessed with R.E.M. — first band I ever loved, and I’d argue ’till death that 70% of their catalog is genius.
15. When I was in the second grade I went through a phase in which I cried every day during the pledge of allegiance.
16. Ashley and I decided the time was right to get married as soon as some very practical criteria fell in place: it was financially a good decision, we had agreed on a song for our first dance (Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend”), we had a strong desire to throw a great party that year, and we realized there wasn’t much going on in 2006.
17. Multiplication blew my mind in the third grade; it may have well been quantum physics. It’s the first time I remember failing at something. I only learned to multiply by force of will, and help from a computer game that somehow melded rocketships with the times tables.
18. The scariest moment of my life was almost tripping over a grizzly bear in the Grand Tetons.
19. I was a notoriously picky eater for most of my adolescent life, and now I think I’ll eat almost anything. Except beans — slimy on the outside, gritty on the inside.
20. In the past 10 years, I’ve wanted to be a lot of things when I grow up: a musician, a writer, a film director, a music producer, a park ranger, a graphic designer, a business owner, a professor, a record store owner, an architect. My advice: ambition is good, but you have to narrow it down.
21. I’m lucky to have a wife with whom I have so much in common. My favorite of these are: zombie films, a love for music, political beliefs, taste in food, sense of humor, and the unquestionable belief that David Lee Roth was the better front man for Van Halen.
22. I’m not really embarrassed by the fact that I have a lot of love for people. I find it easier to love people than dislike them, and that’s fine with me. I think I fell in love for the first time in the second grade (as much as a person can at that age).
23. Yeah, I miss being in a band more than anything.
24. Regarding loving people: I have a hetero man-crush on Elvis Costello, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Tom Selleck. And I’m also completely in love with Neko Case. Ashley’s just learned to accept all this business as part of who I am.
25. I don’t really like westerns, but I could watch “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” on infinite repeat.