You ever get an email or a facebook quiz/fact questionnaire from a friend, etc. and it asks you to answer 40 or 100 questions about yourself, post it and send it on to others? Certainly most of us have. All in all they are lame, my opinion; do you really care what color my eyes are? They are blue by the way. However sometimes there is a question or two that is truly interesting, if not genuinely insightful about a person. Stuff you otherwise wouldn't have known, and wouldn't have necessarily needed to know. But when known it defines just a bit more who that person is, or, was. So from the latest quiz I received, which was a 'finish this sentence questionnaire', I peeled off these questions I felt did that; the other 40+ questions I flushed as rubbish. Here they are and my answers to them...
Most people don't know that...
I have climbed a mountain (Mt. Fuji, Japan /1986)
The item stolen from me that bugged me the most was...
My new mountain bike, it cost more than I should have spent at the time and took me over a year to replace (1988)
A moment in which I was beyond extremely proud of myself, other than the typical birth of child, wedding, etc., was...
Completing the Volkslauf, a 10k race over a course of muddy tracks, pits, and other obstacles, with my buddy's as a team in 52 minutes and change (1987)
An awkward moment I'd like to 'do-over' was...
When my mom caught finishing the last cookie an entire package of Salerno butter cookies (c. 1977)
Ok that last I one I just threw in there for fun, and it is true. When I was 12 I saw a new package of Salerno butter cookies on the kitchen table, you know the cookies with the hole in the center you'd place on your fingers? Yep, those, I saw it, sat down, and ate the whole thing one cookie at a time. Mom came in as I was eating the last one. Oh, not a good moment.
Seriously though, those other three; why did I peel those off to share here? Do they define me? Define who I was? I mean I weigh nearly 300 pounds here today; how can I be the same guy who climbed a mountain, was mad about mountain biking, and could not only run a 10k but do it over a grueling course of mud and water and obstacles that I couldn't even imagine tackling today?
I chose those three because they are who I am. That beast of my youth is still within me, albeit I've sent him off on a long hibernation, but he is still there. And now, in 2010, he awakens slowly and he will once again be apart of what defines who I am.
Ask and answer those same three questions if it helps, or just for fun, but questions or not; Can you define yourself?
Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!
Posts
I had a setback weekend but am back on the right track... I am at 25 pounds lost and this is the focus of my life right now - to lose this weight... I hope all is well and your day to day is going in the direction you want it to go.
ReplyDeleteWell who'da thunk - tarzan and all lol. I am going to go answer the same questions on my little space too. Thanky!
ReplyDeletePatrick, I am amazed by what you have done!! I love that you answered those questions herre & will show yourself that you can do this again!
ReplyDeleteMe, I have defined myself for so long by the gym, I best start thinking about this & you may have inspired a post from me..... I certainly will link back here when I write it!
Sure, I am a liberally educated guy! Everything that I have done has stemmed from that :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm not gonna try to define myself here but certainly will think about it.
ReplyDeleteYou climbed Fuji!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!
I used to plan climbing mountains for when I lose the weight as a reward and I love hights... Now I know I can't ever do that unless I wanna let go of my knees. Yeah can't do much about that now. But you just became a hero of mine :) That is incredible. May be you could share a little more about that on a different post? Love to hear more.
I never make salsa. It doesn't mean much for local cusine but I think I should. You're giving me nice ideas there :)
How you reacted to having your bike stolen might tell us even more about you!
ReplyDeleteHad to tell you that I laughed my head off at your description of yourself (in the comments on my last post)on the stability ball.
Thanks everyone for the great comments...
ReplyDeleteRiver, I will get back to you someday on more about Fuji and look for the salsa reply in my next post.
Karen, that stayball, what a ball of fun it is indeed.
Jody, if I inspired a healthy machine like you somehow then I am definitely holding my head high today.
M&A, setbacks, they happen... good to hear you say it is the focus of your life, focus is so important to staying on track and getting back on track when stumbling.
Dr. J, hello... education is a dangerous thing isn't it. I like danger.
Blue, I loved your post on the same questions!
Excellent post Patrick! It is so easy and so wrong to judge someone by how they currently appear. You've been a fitness hero before, you'll get there again!
ReplyDeleteAlso...way to throw together that recipe and such awesome choices. Salsa instead of dressing is a trick I use as well. Venison, you lucky hunter you...is so lean and wonderful.