Day 19: 10 Things Tuesday: Self-Aggrandizement Edition

The prompt is to list 10 things that make me awesome. Here's what I think, but I'd be curious to hear what you think:

1. I know stuff. I'm not an expert on very much, but I have a pretty vast field of knowledge and I'm always looking for more to add to it. How many Leos have been pope? 23. How do you solve a determinant with a toilet paper roll? I can show you (it's actually kind of cool). What's the Immaculate Reception? Well, Franco Harris can tell you more, but he was there.

2. I have skills. Again, not expert on a lot, but I can do some pretty diverse things. I can assist in the birth of livestock. I can change the oil in my car or a toilet in the bathroom. I can make a sign and act on stage. I even know how to create an Excel spreadsheet to solve that determinant (in case I can't find a toilet paper roll).

3. I've been around. There are lots of places I still haven't had the pleasure of experiencing yet, but the world I've seen so far is pretty cool. I've been to castles in Europe and shanty towns in Mexico. I've frozen my butt off on the Presidentials and swatted mosquitos in a grass hut in the Amazon. I've ridden my bike in the Mojave desert and bought fresh fish in Sicily. I've even seen the World Cup (thanks to my wife)!

4. I've done things. In my professional life alone, I've worked in food service (which I highly recommend; it gives you a proper respect for the work), I've been a political activist, A customer service rep, an accountant, a graphic artist, a computer systems analyst, a camp counselor--and, when the occasion permits, I teach a little. 

5. I've got stories. The Raven in the Tree. The Goat That Conquered Electricity. The Day We Died. There are just so many! My students are still cracking up over The Treehouse Club (and using it to conjugate verbs, which proves that stories can have practical lessons, too).

6. I have charm. It runs in my side of the family. Ask my wife; she'll tell you all of the men on my side of the family have this not-quite-definable sense of charisma. It's fun to have, but ever must one be on guard not to turn to the dark side with it.

7. I can see the forest and the trees. I'm a big picture thinker, but I know enough about the details of getting things done that I can usually balance the two. I can draft bylaws for a non-profit, but remember to get them to Fedex by 5pm. I can plan a lesson on determinants, but adapt it to the learning styles of my students if they can't process math by toilet paper roll.

8. I am not afraid to go outside the box. Although I value what "the box" does, I very often find that it limits my choices. Why should I be only Democrat or Republican? Who says that religion and science are incompatible? Since when is there only one way to solve a determinant?

9. I've got a great support team. Seriously, no one is an island and I would not be anywhere near as amazing as I am without all the people in my world to help me. Wifeness stands at the front of this team, but there are a great many individuals who make things possible for me in ways I could not.

10. All this, and I'm not done yet. I still have lots to see and learn and do and experience! Can you imagine the stories in another 20 years?