I have read about ‘selfies’ over these here interwebs and much of it is bashing. I don’t blame them. They often come across as arrogant and “look at me.” But what about us weirdo introverted folk who prefer to be on the other side of the camera- the person who hits click, who become a bottle of nerves when we are the center of attention? I decided to do something about that and have an impromptu photoshoot, to be okay with me. To embrace my inner weirdo. And I thought I’d share. Sure, there is arrogant and self-serving but there is also acceptance. Acceptance of that weirdo in you, without fear of the perception of others. So this is me, silly, sweaty, free of makeup (the only thing I own is mascara and I rarely put it on) and happy. And honestly, I like to see the person behind the written word, to make a connection in another way.

Let’s take it a step further…

15 Weirdo Facts About Me (or at least what others might find weird):

1. I once used to regularly eat dirt (and I was a teenager at the time).
2. The way I eat fresh popped popcorn is I air pop my kernals, then dab the popcorn on my tongue to moisten it and dip it in nutritional yeast. Then I suck on the kernals. The unpopped kernals are my favorite part.
3. I let my cats lick my whole hand because I think it feels like a mini massage.
4. I have all of the words and sounds of Aliens memorized.
5. I’ve never texted before in my life and prefer to keep it that way.
6. I don’t celebrate holidays. I celebrate every day. I sold my Christmas tree and decorations a couple of years ago and began to question the authenticity of holidays and why we do them after watching a documentary on Christmas and shopping.
7. I once pawned my wedding ring (though I never had an actual wedding- just took a half day off of work, went to a J.P. and was married 15 minutes later) and have no plans to replace it. We got a nice dinner out of that pawning. Many people also find it weird that we were only dating for 3 months before saying, “ah, let’s do this!” and we’re still saying that.
8. I speak some Farsi and most of it is either passing conversational words or down right dirty, naughty words. Got to have range, right? But I desperately want to learn the “dying” language of Latin.
9. I make up songs about my cats and sing them to them.
10. I want a tattoo of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a backpack on and with a facehugger (see Aliens) coming out of the backpack, along with a collage of my other constant loves. Though I’m (so far) too cheap to get one.
11. I curse (though I wouldn’t say a lot, since leaving NY) and have no qualms with cursing. I think an episode from the show Bullshit! on cursing put it well, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. For example, someone who is rascist and says, “that black guy over there is looking at me funny,” with an emphasis on the word “black” is using that word as though it’s a negative thing. In the end, words are words but how we say them is what is a true reflection of us.
12. I often dream of donning my Guy Fawkes mask, with my fellow citizens and doing a reenactment of the ending of V for Vendetta, but in our country. Essentially, I think we need a revolution.
13. My favorite game to play is Unreal Tournament and I get giddy when it tells me I got a “head shot.” This is weird because I will never own a gun, but in a video game…now that’s another world.
14. I find serial killers fascinating and dream of having Clarice Starling‘s job, so that I can pick their brains and understand them more.
15. The best decisions I’ve ever made in my life (outside of Matt) were: joining the Air Force, volunteering for deployment to Afghanistan, leaving the Air Force, and going vegan (then whole foods plant-based).

So, with that I ask, who are you? Who is your inner weirdo? Share yourself with the world, without fear of perception. No worries, I got your back- similarities and differences alike.