Allow me to introduce myself...
What's in a name? Before formal (i.e. nominal) introductions, let me tell you a little about myself. This way you can have an impression of me - albeit a strange mingling of my description and your own experiential interpretation - that is not based largely on your friend of the same name.
First, I'd like to share with you some lines that I wrote a couple of years ago, when asked to describe myself.
I am a practical philosopher, a discerning rock climber and a disgruntled poet...
I am an introverted conversationalist, an unlikely performer and a natural leader...
I'm an outdoorsman that lives in the heart of urbanity, a conservative dreamer that strives for insanity, an idealist that hopes for the good of humanity...
I'm a student of life and a critic of living. What I have is a gift, what I give is thanksgiving...
I am purpose and practice; precision and patience...
I am the terrestrial embodiment of a created soul struggling against creation to express the truth of its creator.
This is not a poem so much as a number of separate verses that seemed appropriate. And that, I would say, describes me quite well. I don't fall into a single poem. No one coherent work can capture me. And that's not to say that I am unique in this way. No amount of words could fully capture any one person, in the true, living, struggling, perceiving, striving sense of the word. However, there are some that will associate themselves with certain well-defined categories. Bill might describe himself as a banker, Julia may wish to be known as a single mother, and Vitali an outdoorsman. Although these categories cannot capture the entirety of any of these people, they still may wish to align themselves with them. In so much as Bill is a banker he is understandable, digestible; after all, we know what bankers are like, and Bill would appreciate it if you thought of him that way.
I, on the other hand, have never felt that I fit into any one category well enough that I could use that category to describe myself. In fact, when people try to file me away - by calling me a college student, or an athlete, or a missionary - I feel the need to correct them, to point out those parts of me that don't fit their chosen mold. After all, this piece of me is far more suited to that group, and this one can only REALLY go in that class. And right now, it's even worse, because I am about to undergo one of life's great transitions.
Presently I am on the verge of finishing my college career, so I am in the unenviable position of taking the almost endless miscellany of my interests, experiences, and skills and finding the pursuit that best incorporates all of them - and hopefully pays the bills as well.
Endless miscellany? you ask. Let me expound. I have studied the philosophical wastelands of business and economics, I've trekked through the lush Himalayas while setting up a long-distance wireless network and reading Dostoevsky, I have been beaten with oak leaves in Ukraine, I've hugged orphans in Romania, I've eaten tacos in Mexico, I used to speak Spanish, I love Indian food, I am an acting father, I'm too young for kids, I drink tea, with a little sugar, I've written code for computers, I'm a born lumberjack, I can sell anything, I have a passion for writing, I've developed a new kind of poetry, I can publish a newspaper, I make people laugh, I enjoy solitude, I love playing sports, I can run for miles, I read complicated scientific books, and Plato, and Dickens, at the same time, I consider drawing others to God the highest good, I'm a horrible surfer, I make people cry, I'm an improvisational comedian, I like to sleep, I have a heightened sense of duty, I like to be busy, I can scale a rock face, serve a tennis ball, interpret scripture, alphabetize anything, write books, star in a play, draw portraits, work for nothing, I love purpose and precision, and my room is a mess.
So anyway, I'm James. It's a pleasure to meet you.
First, I'd like to share with you some lines that I wrote a couple of years ago, when asked to describe myself.
I am a practical philosopher, a discerning rock climber and a disgruntled poet...
I am an introverted conversationalist, an unlikely performer and a natural leader...
I'm an outdoorsman that lives in the heart of urbanity, a conservative dreamer that strives for insanity, an idealist that hopes for the good of humanity...
I'm a student of life and a critic of living. What I have is a gift, what I give is thanksgiving...
I am purpose and practice; precision and patience...
I am the terrestrial embodiment of a created soul struggling against creation to express the truth of its creator.
This is not a poem so much as a number of separate verses that seemed appropriate. And that, I would say, describes me quite well. I don't fall into a single poem. No one coherent work can capture me. And that's not to say that I am unique in this way. No amount of words could fully capture any one person, in the true, living, struggling, perceiving, striving sense of the word. However, there are some that will associate themselves with certain well-defined categories. Bill might describe himself as a banker, Julia may wish to be known as a single mother, and Vitali an outdoorsman. Although these categories cannot capture the entirety of any of these people, they still may wish to align themselves with them. In so much as Bill is a banker he is understandable, digestible; after all, we know what bankers are like, and Bill would appreciate it if you thought of him that way.
I, on the other hand, have never felt that I fit into any one category well enough that I could use that category to describe myself. In fact, when people try to file me away - by calling me a college student, or an athlete, or a missionary - I feel the need to correct them, to point out those parts of me that don't fit their chosen mold. After all, this piece of me is far more suited to that group, and this one can only REALLY go in that class. And right now, it's even worse, because I am about to undergo one of life's great transitions.
Presently I am on the verge of finishing my college career, so I am in the unenviable position of taking the almost endless miscellany of my interests, experiences, and skills and finding the pursuit that best incorporates all of them - and hopefully pays the bills as well.
Endless miscellany? you ask. Let me expound. I have studied the philosophical wastelands of business and economics, I've trekked through the lush Himalayas while setting up a long-distance wireless network and reading Dostoevsky, I have been beaten with oak leaves in Ukraine, I've hugged orphans in Romania, I've eaten tacos in Mexico, I used to speak Spanish, I love Indian food, I am an acting father, I'm too young for kids, I drink tea, with a little sugar, I've written code for computers, I'm a born lumberjack, I can sell anything, I have a passion for writing, I've developed a new kind of poetry, I can publish a newspaper, I make people laugh, I enjoy solitude, I love playing sports, I can run for miles, I read complicated scientific books, and Plato, and Dickens, at the same time, I consider drawing others to God the highest good, I'm a horrible surfer, I make people cry, I'm an improvisational comedian, I like to sleep, I have a heightened sense of duty, I like to be busy, I can scale a rock face, serve a tennis ball, interpret scripture, alphabetize anything, write books, star in a play, draw portraits, work for nothing, I love purpose and precision, and my room is a mess.
So anyway, I'm James. It's a pleasure to meet you.
posted by James at 13:49
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4 Comments:
I like this.
I like you, and I don't know you.
Maybe it would be more appropriate to say, you make me want to like you and know you.
Hello, James. I'm Thérèse, a friend of VJ's, with whom you went to high school.
I am all about...
... laughing, cause life is too short to take things too seriously
... dancing, cause there is no point in not enjoying the body you're given
... music, cause it elicits a range of emotion
... engineering, cause it is what drives me, intellectually
... tea, cause it calms like no other liquid
... peace, cause with peace comes happiness
... languages, cause diversity is the spice of life and without it we can't grow as a people
... literature, cause through the written word, learning is made easy, and it becomes possible to escape to any place time or space
... family ties, cause it is important to know your roots
... snow, cause appreciating your country's beauty is a worthy way to spend time
... sun, cause it is the giver of life
... study, cause without it, the mind can not grow
... songwriting, cause it is a method of purging what plagues
... friends, cause they are the spice, variety and juice in the meal of life
... shoes, cause they are beautiful
... chocolate, cause i am an emotional eater
... faith, cause without it, hope dies
... hope, cause without it, happiness is not acheivable
... values, cause they help you live rightly
... culture,
... technology, and sensation.
In no particular order.
Thérèse, it's a pleasure to make your e-quaintance, if you will. (I've a habit for bad puns.) Thanks for dropping by my little blog'o'rants. I'm afraid I don't update this one all too often, but feel free to reread anything as much as you like (he said, half joking). Actually, I do feel another post brewing, but when it will be ready is anyone's guess.
I agree with almost everything that you are about. Allow me to make some experiential connections from your list: languages and tea are inexstricably entwined in my mind; dancing and hope, because when you find a great hope nothing can tether you to the ground; laughing and engineering - well you'd have to know my roommate from my freshman year of college, but trsut me, it works; literature and peace because wouldn't it be nice if everyone would just sit down, be quiet and read a book; family ties, chocolate, and laughing - add to this a crackling fire and some matching sweaters and you have everyone's perfect Christmas Eve.
Please do drop by again. You seem a lovely person, and any friend of VJ's is a friend of mine.
James, my old friend..i have to say that reading your blogs is really refreshing..keep it up!
...i have to say that this post does look a little familiar. am i right to think you took this from your POD "Getting to Know You" Profile?
Apurva! Welcome to my little neck of the Interwoods. You're one of the few to find it!
Yeah, that post probably does look familiar, though I believe it was the other way around. That is, the profile was a direct plagarism of this post. Genius only comes to me a couple times a year, I have to milk it all I can.
Looking forward to the beginning of the PODyear! Feel free to stop by any of my blogs whenever you like. Comments are always appreciated!
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