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Monday, April 27, 2015

What I've done, so far

     Ally of Shybiker wrote a great post called Life Experiences that inspired me to compile my own list.
Did you know that I ...
 This has nothing to do with the post, just a random photo that I found on my camera card.
  •  Moved to California at 21 to pursue my first career.
  • Grew up with a (fraternal) twin sister who is one minute older.
  • Throughout elementary school, learned in the same classroom as my sister. It wasn't until I became a teacher that I realized how unusual it was for me and my twin to be students in the same room - the general practice is to place twins in different classrooms.
  • Used an online dating service - and ended up marrying a guy I met there.
  • Spent almost a year running an elementary school library that serviced about 900 students.
  • Worked in a newsroom for two historic events - the momentous 2000 election and the 9/11 attacks.
  • Taught fifth grade with just about no experience.
  • Through reflection, research, and reading, improved as a teacher.
  • As a high school student, won a contest that turned my anti-drug commercial idea into spot that aired on a local channel.
  • Earned a black belt in the Japanese martial art of aikido (hoping to get my third-degree belt next year).
  • Passed an oral exam to earn my library sciences degree and got married in the same month - just about a week apart.
  • Served in AmeriCorps VISTA for two years, promoting literacy in elementary schools.
  • Folded almost 1,000 paper cranes (I had friends and my sis help) for someone ill.
  • Visited New Zealand and India.
  • Served as weekday caretaker for a close relative with Alzheimer's/dementia for almost two years.
  • Sampled alligator on a stick (it does kind of taste like chicken!)
  • Earned a spot in the acknowledgements section of a real live printed book.  (Proof here)
  • Provided technical support for a poetry show my friend did on public radio.
  • On my first (and so far, only) trip to New York, woke up in the dead of night with vertigo and took an ambulance ride to the E.R.
  • After said stay in the E.R., walked 9 blocks back to the hotel. Note to self: when you have vertigo, DO NOT take the nurse's advice to walk because it will be too hard to get a cab. It was the longest, most wretched walk of my life. 
  • Wrote a novel - then dumped it.
  • Read my poetry on stage when I lived in California.
  • Rang up one of my favorite authors (Haruki Murakami) when I worked part-time at Borders. I was too shy to say anything to him! 
Do we have anything in common? Did anything surprise you? 

12 comments:

  1. Wow, what interesting experiences! I didn't know you have a twin. I admire your accomplishments. I could never write poetry, let alone read it on a stage. You rock!

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  2. Wow!! All of this surprised me. You've lived an amazing life so far. Gogo!! Carrie!!

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  3. Ally - you are an excellent writer, so you should give poetry a try! I think you'd surprise yourself. :) I read a book called "Poemcrazy" years ago that had some really interesting, non-intimidating exercises to help you work with words more creatively.

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  4. Thanks, Megan! It was fun to write. I think this would be a great exercise to do with someone you'd want to get to know better - I think everyone has an amazing list that we know little about.

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  5. Wow lots of surprising facts :) Interesting -I didn't know you wrote a book - what was it about?
    katattack2000.wordpress.com

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  6. Hi Carrie, I just recommended to my blog's readers that they follow your example and do a post like this. I admire yours so much. Maybe I will try poetry!

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  7. It is a very interesting thing to do, but my memory is terrible or i write something then once i have posted it 10 minutes later i remembered something else to add. But its a lovely read thank you :)

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  8. What a great list! You seem quite fearless. (except at the end...that is a shame.)


    bisous
    Suzanne

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  9. Dale - this post has been in my drafts since November, so I've been adding to it bit by bit! :) Thanks for stopping by.

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  10. It was a fantasy novel, Kat! I used to read tons of fantasy and always wanted to write a novel.

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  11. Suzanne - I still wish I had said something to him!

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  12. Ally, thank you for the sweet shout-out. And in regards to the poetry: DO IT!

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