Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Week 11: Something Unusual

I didn't really know what to do with this challenge so I decided to write a list of things which are unusual about me. And my life.

1) I was born with club feet. One of my feet was turned around 180 degrees and the other was squashed up against my leg with my toes pointing up. (Mom and Dad, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about this positioning.) I had to wear casts from the time I was six weeks old until I started to walk. Then I had to wear special shoes. I think I remember Mom saying they cost $30 in 1973, which might be more than I've ever paid for shoes for my kids now. Mom saved my first set of casts, but I don't know where they are now. I remember asking to look at them as a little kid.

I have no ill effects from this now, except my ankles are a little weak. This is my excuse for why I can't really ice skate. (Although I did play hockey in university and got an award for playing on our residence's men's hockey team one summer. Don't take that to mean I was good at it though. Ha!) Also, I have small feet for someone my height. I'm 5' 8" and wear size 7 1/2 shoes.

2) I got my nose slammed in the trunk of a car when I was about two. It's one of the first things I remember in my life. I was looking into the trunk to see if my dad had gotten all the groceries out, and my dad, whose arms were full of groceries, and who thought I was up ahead with my mom, slammed the trunk. I remember where my mom and little brother were when it happened and I remember some of the drive to the hospital with my dad. I used to have a more pronounced scar but, except for a small ridge in my nose, you can barely see it now.

3) I am a Christian who is married to a Jewish man who also happens to be ten years younger than me. I don't know anyone else who is in this kind of a relationship although I am sure they are out there. Dave and I are raising our kids in both faiths and so we celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, Passover, and Easter, just to name a few. We go to church and synagogue. Sam and Rachel had both baby dedications and baby namings (the Jewish ceremony). Unusual thing 3b) I am technically a member of both my church and the synagogue!

The "ten years younger thing" has not been a big deal thus far and we've been together for nine years. It mostly comes up when we're talking about the past ("What were you doing in 1989?") or when we are celebrating our birthdays.

4) I've been a vegetarian for fifteen and a half years. I eat fish and seafood, and the occasional piece (or three!) of farmer's sausage, but other than that I haven't had meat since Lent of 2000. I am not fussy about it. For instance, we were at a special family dinner on Friday night and they served matzo ball soup made in chicken broth. I didn't intentionally eat the chicken, but I can't say that I didn't ingest a small piece or two. I became a vegetarian for health reasons, and what I'm doing works for that. (And I'm willing to say more about those health reasons in a private e-mail but don't want to write about them here on the (somewhat public) blog.)

5) I woke up at 6 this morning to go grocery shopping. Our grocery store opens at 7am and so I want to be there when it opens. I'm not sure I've ever gone grocery shopping this early before but I was too tired last night and we're out of all the staples -- milk, bread, bananas, chocolate chips -- so off I go. This is the fifth, and final thing, rounding out my unusual list.

Feel free to share your own "unusual thing" in the comments. Or write a blog post about it :)

8 comments:

  1. I learned all KINDS of things about you today. Isn't modern medicine great [well, sometimes] when it allows you to have no lasting effects of such a pronounced issue at birth? That's amazing!

    I was trying to think of something unusual to share...and I picked this, which is something I try not to mention on my own blog space. My parents live a very conservative lifestyle, to honor their convictions, and because of it, I grew up without permission to wear pants, makeup or cut my hair much past a trim. I also couldn't wear much jewelry or nail polish. When I went to college, I chose to leave behind that part of my upbringing, not out of rebellion, but because I didn't feel the same convictions they did. It was a REALLY HARD transition and for years I beat myself up for being a disappointment to them, but I feel that I did the right thing for me, and we have a mutual respect for each others' decisions. I have chosen not to blog about it, mostly out of respect for them and the desire to not make them feel bad for some of the struggles I went through because of those practices, but thanks for giving me a place to say it out loud here! I've come to a place where I am grateful they asked that of me as I grew up, because it meant they were honoring what they felt the Lord asked of them, but I am also grateful that I have the freedom to be myself, even when that doesn't follow what they might prefer.

    Longest. Comment. Ever. Sorry. :)

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    1. Thank you for sharing your unusual thing. I never would have guessed that and I can see why you don't want to write about it on your blog too much. I'm guessing it's hard for our parents when we don't make the same choices as them.

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  2. I had no idea about your club feet!! That is so wild- and yes, amazing that something that was probably a huge deal initially is now a complete non-issue! Yay medicine!!

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  3. Wow, you two balance the Jewish/Christian much better than we do. I've never been to a synogogue and our church attendance is poor. But we DO celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas, if that counts (probably doesn't, haha).

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  4. I wish I could think of something! But I loved reading yours!

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    1. Thanks. I'm guessing you could think of something if you thought about it long enough :)

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  5. Oh my goodness--this is so interesting! You learned quick to be tough when you were a little one!

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  6. I too had no idea about the club feet. How encouraging that you have no lasting permanent side effects from that condition. Yikes to getting your nose slammed in the trunk. That just makes me cringe! Yes, you and Dave's "situation" definitely makes you an interesting couple. :-) I have always been a little curious about your reasons for being vegetarian. I think I could go for that lifestyle choice because I love veggies but having a husband who won't eat most veggies makes things a lot more difficult since I am the only one who eats most of the vegetables around here...well, and Brody. Sigh.

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