Aine Revealed, part 2

As promised, here are some photos from my teenage years. First, a shot of me in school, looking so alert. I think this was 7th grade, so I was 12 years old. Sorry for the poor quality, but ya know, these are rather ancient. ;)



Next, for Sarah, who asked for proof of the cheerleading... the press shot (I'm in the back row, last on the right):




Here are cheerleaders at work. (What? You thought it was all about glamour? Puh-lease.) This is my friend and I (I'm on the left), on a freezing, rainy Thanksgiving morning. It was the last game of the season, and our team blazed out with an exciting zero to zero tie! Fun game, that one.



And lastly, my junior prom photo. I was 16. My brother-in-law fancied himself an amateur photographer...too bad he didn't correct for the massive flash shadows and reflection from the vintage wood paneling. :D

Aine Revealed (part 1)

Aniket has challenged us to reveal ourselves (though I blame Jason for throwing down the gauntlet-- just had to show some skin, didn't ya, dear?). Aniket has complained that he's seen my legs and finger, but not the parts in between. Well-- here I am.



My parents used this photo for their Christmas card for my first Christmas. That's me-- the New Year Baby (we were 6 months old). Thanks for dressing me for the occasion, Mom! My brother was so roly-poly that they had to lean him against me to keep him upright.

And, here's another glimpse. I was 8. And had just experienced my first fishing trip. Notice the bountiful catch. That's unheard of in the back bays of New Jersey these days (so sad...).



That's enough for part one. Tune in next time for a teenaged version of Aine as we work up to the present.

Life is Beautiful-- and Wonderful!

I found the song! The song that captures my mantra. Sure he changed "beautiful" to "wonderful", but he didn't want to steal my phrase... ;)

Each lyric is full of meaning yet simple. As is life. We need to cherish all experiences, the positive and the negative, because "it takes the one to have the other."

So, without further ado, here is the wonderful live recording of Life is Wonderful by Jason Mraz:

It takes a crane to build a crane
It takes two floors to make a story
It takes an egg to make a hen
It takes a hen to make an egg
There is no end to what I'm saying

It takes a thought to make a word
And it takes some words to make an action
It takes some work to make it work
It takes some good to make it hurt
It takes some bad for satisfaction

La la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle
Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Al la la la la

It takes a night to make it dawn
And it takes a day to make you yawn brother
And it takes some old to make you young
It takes some cold to know the sun
It takes the one to have the other

And it takes no time to fall in love
But it takes you years to know what love is
It takes some fears to make you trust
It takes those tears to make it rust
It takes the dust to have it polished

(Chorus)

It takes some silence to make sound
It takes a loss before you found it
And it takes a road to go nowhere
It takes a toll to make you care
It takes a hole to make a mountain

(Chorus)

Fitting In

(photo by An_Tarzan on flickr)

I've been struggling with blogging lately. My interest in personality theory continues to be a huge part of my conscious thoughts, but I don't want that to be the focus of my blog.

So today I thought I'd share a glimpse into the zany, illogical way my brain works. (Which I'm sure is in large part due to my INFJ preferences.)

I had a revelation this morning. Throughout my life I've always categorized people (big surprise, eh?). But my intention has never been to label people or confine them by limitations. Rather, I use the categorizations to make interactions easier and smoother. As an introvert, I'm not a natural socializer. But I became very skilled in getting along with everyone by recognizing people's motivations, different ways of thinking, values, etc. and using that knowledge to find connections. I can't relate to everyone, but I can relate to a part of everyone.

By high school I was able to move in and out of different social cliques with ease. I was an "A" student, president of the National Honor Society, and my best friends were "brains." But, I was also a varsity cheerleader and could hang with the jocks. At school dances I was known to break dance with the basketball players. And the first guy I dated was a hard partier. At home, I was a "tomboy" and very comfortable hanging out with my brother's friends (think "greaser" meets southern rock lovers--I think I confused my classmates when I greeted those guys in the halls!) And my ballet background gave me a solid position among the drama/theater crowd.

But what I didn't know was how to label me.

So that brings me to my revelation. I started watching the vlogbrothers on Youtube. Those guys are brilliant! They are very intelligent and hilarious, but what I love most about them is the relationship they share. They just adore each other and their families. One is an award-winning novelist and the other is a web designer and environmentalist who runs ecogeek.org. What hit me while watching them, is that they are of the "type" that I most admire and (naturally) feel most awkward around. So, I created a new label for me: I am a nerd-wannabe. (Ha! Who would ever admit THAT?) I want to be as intelligent and quick witted as they are. I want to understand the nuances and implications of each reference they make. I want to be able to respond in kind: have a witty comeback, a creative thought that takes the conversation to new possibilities. I want to be like them.

So, why is it that the one "type" who I feel most awkward with is the one type I most want to be like?