This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Who Am I? & Who Are You?

To-day we have naming of parts. Yesterday,
We had daily cleaning. And to-morrow morning,
We shall have what to do after firing. But to-day,
To-day we have naming of parts.

from the poem "Naming of Parts" by Henry Reed

       Halloween is still on its way, but that can still wait for a while. I am going to get to the topic eventually and further clarify "why" the topic of "Halloween". But that is yet to come. For now I want to give some further clarification about who I am and what I am doing.
        Here are some parts of who I am:    writer, speaker, entertainer, music lover, collector, husband, father, grandfather, friend, traveler, seeker of truth and wisdom.  This is just a limited view of my fields of interest and pursuits in life.  In the "Tossing It Out" blog I will be using these aspects of my background as touchstones for my topics.  Indeed, I will probably be going way beyond all this, but these "parts of who I am" are the initial things that come to my mind. And now I will break some of this down.
       I am a writer.  I am writing this blog.  I have not yet published a book but I am working on this.  I have had a few articles appear in various sources. But for all practical purposes virtually noone has heard of me, the author, yet, although I hope that this will be changing in the near future.  Writing has been a passion since childhood but it seems like I have always pushed this behind me in order to pursue other things. Have any of you had similar experiences  -- with writing or perhaps something else that you have dreamed about?  We all know in our hearts that it's never too late to pursue our dreams.
      I am a speaker.  I talk to people. I haven't presented seminars or done any circuits or anything like that.  But I have presented to smaller groups for business and educational purposes. Some of the folks who have heard me have told me that they have enjoyed my presentations and encouraged me that I should be going out and doing oral presentations for a living.  I am going to be pursuing this. Years ago, I originally attended college with the intent of becoming a teacher.  I don't know that I'll necessarily be going back to this plan, but something along this line might be good. Nothing like a captive audience. Even better would be an appreciative audience that really wants to hear what I have to say. 
      I am an entertainer. In my previous post I mentioned how I worked professionally as a juggler.  In fact I grew up in a family of jugglers.  We worked throughout the U.S. performing our juggling act and had a pretty decent reputation in our field. For many of my adult years I toured with stage productions not only juggling, but also performing magic, acting, singing, and playing the violin. Now I'm not a great violinist by any means, but I was at one time a member of the musicians union in Richmond, VA when I played a stint in a dinner theater bluegrass band.  That means I played professionally. Maybe I was mediocre, but I was getting a paycheck.
      I am a music lover.   I started playing the violin when I was about 9 or so. I started because I loved music. It's probably something I picked up from my parents. Music was always part of our home life. Later I began acquiring records of music I liked, then cassettes, and later CD's.  I like most kinds of music and give just about anything a listen. Music is the soundtrack of my life. Yours too probably.  Think about the last time you went grocery shopping.  What was playing in the background?  I'm almost positive there was a soundtrack to your shopping experience.  Unless it was in Costco or someplace like that.  Now that would require some arena style sound equipment.  Hmmm-- now appearing at Costco:  JOURNEY... or maybe the Costco Symphony Orchestra.  Maybe I'll go back to that topic someday.
     I am a collector.  Besides my collection of recordings I have stamps, postcards, books, videos, DVDs, among other things.  None of it is very organized. Not really a catalogued, well displayed collection. My wife looks at it as more of an accumulation of a lot of stuff.  So okay I'm a packrat. But it's always a challenge trying to figure out what to get rid of and I can't bring myself to just chuck it all like my wife would like to see.  After all my collection represents much of who I am and what I value.  What do you the reader collect or value?  How do you deal with your accumulations of "stuff"?
     I am a family guy.  Read husband, father, grandfather, sibling, et al. I enjoy my family as most of us, if not all of us, should.  I'll also add friend to this category.  I have a lot of people that I consider to be friends even though I don't spend much time with any of them. My people, friends and family, are scattered all over the country so I don't see them much, but when we get together it's good and none of them are ever far from my thoughts and prayers.
     I am a traveler.   Not world traveler.  I have been to Canada and Mexico, but otherwise I've never left the continental 48 states.  That's okay by me. I love the U.S. and I figure I could spend the rest of my life traveling around this great country and never get tired of it.  Too many interesting places and people. I don't travel as much as I used to, but the road keeps calling me. Must have been the bug that bit when I was growing up and that show biz lifestyle I was living when I was working on the road.
      I am seeker of Truth and Wisdom.  Am I alone in this one?  Of course not--most of you are with me in some form or fashion.  As far a my personal journey, I am a Christian and a lover of the good ol' U.S.A. I read and study the Bible regularly, but also try to stay informed through many other sources.  There's just not enough time in the day to travel this road, but every day is a new opportunity for learning and experience.
      So here you have some of the parts of who I am.  It doesn't end here of course. There are many other facets of me.  And as days come and go so I grow. Hopefully I will grow better.  And hopefully you will like who I am?   Who are you?

3 comments:

  1. `
    Who am I?
    Who?-Who?
    Who?-Who?

    >>[Think about the last time you went grocery shopping. What was playing in the background?]<<

    Ah! What timing! What, are you reading my mind, Arlee? Or just my mail?

    The last time I went shopping was yesterday (9/23). I was in a nearby Fry's grocery store, and as I was checking out, I suddenly became aware that the song "House At Pooh Corner" by Loggins & Messina was playing on the store's sound system. HOKEY-SMOKE, Brother! So what?... So I bought the "Best Of Friends" Loggins & Messina album as soon as I got home.

    This was a major revelation. Maybe even a voice from the spirit world? Well, definitely it was the answer to a question that had been bothering me for a couple of years - ever since I threw a Merle Haggard compact disc into a tumbleweed in the Arizona desert. No, I'm not on drugs or drink, and believe it or not, this all makes sense in a weird, Stephen T. McCarthy sort of way.

    The story will eventually wind up as a Blog Bit, but I'm not sure yet whether I will post it on "Stuffs" or on my political Blog, "F-F F F." The subject matter is appropriate for either site. Finding the time to write it is the real question.

    Anyway, I will check in here to see what you are up to. Regular Blog readers are few and far between. I post just to get ideas out of my mind or frustration off of my chest. Few folks "Follow", but that's of secondary importance to me. My small collection of friends read my writing but they like me anyway.

    GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!

    ~ Stephen
    <"As a dog returns to his own vomit,
    so a fool repeats his folly."
    ~ Proverbs 26:11>

    ReplyDelete
  2. Stephen,

    Thanks for your comment-- the first for my blog. It is indeed an honor to receive commentary from one whom I have come to esteem as much as I do you.
    I will be following your blogs as well.
    As for the music, I just always find it somewhat ironic when I hear something like the Police or the Clash being fed to us aurally as we perform our accumulations of product in the grocery store or elsewhere. I wonder if twenty years from now Rap or thrash metal will be the background. Probably not. I think we all mellow out later in life. They might be listening to the more melodic hip-hop, but hopefully not the hardcore crap.
    The blogging experience is cathartic for the author if nothing else. It's not much different than when I used to write ramblings in my notebooks except that now that is more of a likelihood that somebody might possibly read something and maybe even provide feed back.
    Write on--- groovy.
    Lee

    ReplyDelete
  3. LEE ~
    You are too kind, sir. I received your email and will reply here:

    No, I did not realize that you were you. Glad you mentioned it. All I had to go on was the “lee” in Arlee Bird, but I’m a bit slow and need a few more clues than that if I’m to solve the crime and determine the true identity of the butler (who always does it).

    >>[I just always find it somewhat ironic when I hear something like the Police or the Clash being fed to us aurally as we perform our accumulations of product in the grocery store or elsewhere.]<<

    I’ve had similar thoughts and commented on that to others as well. Not much makes me feel so past my prime as when I find myself grocery shopping to what was once considered my “teenage counterculture music.” That is just a strange experience. It could be worse though… we could be Pete Townshend or Roger Daltrey reaching for a bottle of Geritol on the shelf while the grocery store is playing “…hope I die before I get old!”

    >>[It's kind of weird writing this stuff that you have no idea whether or not someone sees it unless they comment.]<<

    True. But the odds are that very few (if any) are seeing it. The counter on your Profile Page will indicate approximately how many times your Page has been viewed by others. There’s not much else to go on.

    >>[If you have any suggestions or recommendations I'd love to hear them.]<<

    At the moment, I can think of no suggestions or recommendations. Brother, I’ve been blogging here for about a year and a half and it seems very, very few people read what I post. Therefore, even if I did suggest or recommend something, you’d be a fool to pay attention to me. All I can say is, do it to please yourself alone; don’t give much if any thought to whether or not anyone is actually reading it. If you go into it without any expectations, you can’t possibly be disappointed.

    >>[Write on--- groovy.]<<

    Ha! Peace, Love & Blogs. All we are saying is give Blogs a chance.

    Yak Later, Bro.
    ~ Stephen, Doggtor Of Accidental Wit

    ReplyDelete

Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.
I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.

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If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.

Lee