Who, me?

Compliments make me feel like a fish on a bicycle; however, it’d be a slight of hand (or slight of character) not to humbly accept the following awards, giving credence to the crazy folks who chose me. So…

Wayward Spirit and Dutifully Broken have simultaneously nominated me for the Beautiful Blogger Award. Double whammy!

I’m most excited to choose my own seven nominees! But first…

The Rules:
1. Copy the Beautiful Blogger Award logo and place it in your post.
2. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
3. Tell 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 7 other fellow bloggers for their own Beautiful Blogger Award, and comment on their blogs to let them know.

7 Things About Me

1. I have traveled to and/or lived in 49 of the United States. These journeys both strengthened and weakened my perception of the US as a ‘first world’ country. The South wins for kindness and fried okra; the North wins for breathtaking autumns and manic braniacs; the East wins for dynamic landscapes and resilient people; and the West — well, it holds my heart.

2. Speaking of places I’ve lived: a mental institution. I’m neither proud nor ashamed of that fact. I came out of the five-day experience with a deepened conviction that most “crazy” people are simply the ones who got a little too close to reality at some point, and understood the implications of it just a little too well. Then again, I too went crazy once — so what do I know.

3. I declined a full ride scholarship with my music at a great school out of state to attend an ivy league university instead; during that intense schooling, I double majored in Psychology and Philosophy. One semester shy of graduating, I withdrew and started a family. The reason still escapes me. I’ll finish my degrees… Someday.

4. I have a debilitating problem with untextured cotton. I’m serious. If you don’t like me, all you’ve got to do is come after me with a cotton ball. It makes me puke — literally; I can’t even use q-tips. The sensation of it sends phobic-chills down my spine. I’ve been this way since infancy. Embarrassing and inexplicable. I’m a whackjob.

5. I was vegetarian for five years. Now (five years later) I fish, hunt, and clean (prepare) the meat with my own hands. That’s why I avoided meat for so long; mass production of consumer-ready animal products is atrocious. Don’t look into it unless you’re prepared for a big life change. It will haunt you.

6. I studied martial arts for 13 years (total), and I once used roller skates (quads, not blades) instead of my car. For almost a full year, I roller skated my way to work, the store, the park, the doctor, etc. I miss it. But since I can’t exactly skate my litter of children to school, practicality wins.

7. My favorite color is yellow. I’ll settle for any color, however, when it comes to my tennis shoes — as long as they’re fluorescently colored. Some women collect Gucci; I collect rainbows.

And now…

I Nominate These 7 Blogs

1. SprinklinThoughts He ain’t heavy; he’s my brother. Love acquires a new dimension every time this spiritual creature gets out of bed in the morning. With or without his coffee, he can dumbfound, endear, and motivate your every last inhibition. I learned how to swim in these waters.

2. Travis the Traveler Kindred spirit. His machete-mind slices through every last preconceived notion like a dagger of discernment, and yet has the purest voice of reason. He’s humble, yet brilliant. Truth can cut you gently; he’s proof.

3. Thomas Ross There’s a mysterious human being with intergalactic abilities of understanding; I found myself fortunate enough to have been his brief — yet sharp — point of focus. It left me breathless. It doesn’t take much for him to capture your spirit, your attention, and your respect.

4. Jennifer Stuart The only thing missing is a complimentary holographic latte. Otherwise, this blog is supremely reminiscent of utopia, in cyber-earth. (Well, a virtual massage might be nice too, but you can only demand so much from divinity.) She is a bohemian spirit with bodacious, bright-eyed thought processes. An inspired human being.

5. Alarna Rose Gray If my heart were to break in an unrecoverable way, I would turn to this woman and find out what she had to say. Her pulse comes from the expansion of the universe.

6. The Girl in the Hat Her ideas have their own poetry. Her brain will bring you back to life; have writer’s block? Her words can fix that. Ever find yourself stifled by the monotonies of day to day living? I often take my breaks from reality here. She’s cool people.

7. Dana Fuhrman The world is not as small as you might think. For example, this lady has been to far away lands and has done the most breathtaking things; and yet, she is merely a woman with the very same human nature to which the rest of us (less enlightened) creatures often succumb. She inspires and challenges me.