From middle sports camps to small groups to school classes, we are often asked to "go around the circle and say your name and something cool about yourself."
This short sentence triggered all types of paralyzing fear as you instantly try to think about something that happened on that trip you went on or something crazy you did with your friends. Your blood pressure is sky rocketing and you suddenly feel sweaty. Its your turn. "I...I... I do cheer." You mutter out something simple, embarrassing and not even remotely cool thing about yourself.
There are so many wonderful and unique qualities and experiences we have all encountered far greater than being a cheerleader at cheer leading camp. This post goes out to the kids who say, "idk" instead of saying a random crazy thing that makes them their own person.
100% Truthful "Cool Things" About Myself:
To inspire you to say something even cooler
1. I have been to 70 concerts in the past two years.
My dad and I have always loved music. Between his traveling for work and my school schedule, we always try to make time for at least one concert a month to go to together. We have gone together to see everyone from Weezer to Logic and all the Kesha, Killers, and Khalid in between. I also was fortunate enough to win concert tickets occasionally or receive them as gifts for every occasion you can celebrate. However, to answer the most asked question following this "cool thing", yes, I am broke.
2. I have flown in an open cockpit biplane
A local airport offers biplane rides over Atlanta, Lake Allatoona, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. For my 14th birthday, my grandparents had gotten me a biplane ride. I piled on the jackets and my purple gloves and went for a tour of my city- with quite a view.
3. I can sing my alphabet back wards
Growing up with a director of a preschool as a mom, you get a head start on the whole early childhood education. Going into kindergarten, my mom had taught me the alphabet, so when it was time to learn it in class, I told my teacher I already knew it. She said that she had had a student who was so smart they learned it backwards. As stubborn as I am, I went home that same night and stayed up singing my alphabet until I knew it backwards. I couldn't ride a bike or tie my own shoes, but I learned a life long party trick.
4. I am a freelance makeup artist
I have always been really into makeup and spent every school break gluing my eyeballs to youtube tutorials. "Freelance" is a fun word to use when talking about a career in makeup because it seems independent and fancy when in reality it just means doing makeup in your bedroom for your classmates. I have worked with full competition cheer leading teams and spent hours doing a client every hour for proms, and my makeup collection is worth more than my car, but it's still just playing dress up with a little more technique.
5. I have a pet chinchilla
My dad was allergic to cats and my mom didn't want a dog to scratch the hardwoods. My younger sister did a school project on chinchillas. After my parents looked into how low maintenance they are as pets and how cute they look on a Christmas card, we brought home a 3 month old ebony chinchilla I named Gizmo.
6. I was attacked by a shark
This one is a lie, but my birthmark removal scar is big enough I get away with it.
7. One of my favorite artists held my hand
8. I graduated from the same high school as a celebrity.
9. I was featured on the Eric Von Haessler show.
10. A giraffe ate my hair.
For my 7th grade church retreat, we went to Panama City Beach. While there, we took a trip to a local petting zoo. With my iphone 4 i tried taking the BEST selfie with the giraffe there. I kept getting closer to the fence hoping it would make it look like I was close to the giraffe for my instagram. A few seconds of angling and duck faces later, I felt a tug on the back of my head. The giraffe had started to eat at my hair. It was all still there- slightly damp and moderately traumatized. I did not take any more selfies with the other animals that day.
I have learned to exaggerate and hype up the unique experiences of my life developing conversation starters and building friendships on shared interests. It is extremely important to understand the complexities of your character and appreciate the interesting nonsense that got you there.