Each and every one of us is different. Unique. Sure, we can find several people with whom we have things, beliefs, or experiences in common, but you will never find another person with whom you have EVERYTHING in common. That’s just the way it is.

So who am I?

I’m the girl with incredibly strong opinions about most things. HOWEVER, I’m also the girl who will sit and listen to a differing opinion or idea assuming it’s given calmly and with respect. Talk TO me, not AT me. I shut down with the latter.

I’m the girl who won’t give you a second of my time if everything out of your mouth sounds like “this is why I’m right” rather than “this is what I think/feel”.

I’m the girl who has a hard time wrapping my head around something until it’s in front of me (true Missouri girl).

I’m the girl who learns best by doing.

I’m the girl who will deliberately do the exact opposite of what someone tells me I should do, simply because I demand to have my independence recognized and respected.

I’m the girl who will hold a grudge. You just won’t always know when I’m doing it.

I’m the girl who has high expectations for everyone around me. If you’re going to be in my life, you need to: speak properly, drop the slang, respect others, think before you speak, be deliberate in what you do and say, don’t take everything for granted, own up to your mistakes, be ok with being wrong, don’t have a need to be right, know when to shut your mouth, and for heaven’s sake raise your kids in a way that will allow them to effectively function in this world once you’re gone!!! (Told you I was opinionated!!)

I’m the girl who will remain fiercely loyal to my friends, even if time and distance have separated us for years. (Perfect example…my college roommate married an army man. They have been stationed out of the country for years. I’m lucky to see her for a couple hours every two or three years when they come home to visit family. She was one of the first people to know I was pregnant and no matter how long it’s been we can sit and talk until we literally fall asleep mid-sentence.)

I’m the girl who bides her time when there’s something I desperately want. Right now I’m waiting for the perfect opportunity to tell my company exactly where they should put me and exactly what I can do for them. I have the potential to fix 50 or more problems without much effort, but I made the mistake of voicing two ideas. They were taken from me. I won’t be doing that again. They want my ideas? They have to pay me for them.

I’m the girl who LOVES to read. I love to read about life before any of us were around, and I love to read dystopic futuristic society novels. Two extremes, I know, but they both take me to another world. Both a world of possibility.

I’m the girl who loves music. I drive to work blasting my favorite tunes of the day and singing every word. I sit at home with my husband relaxing with great instrumental music. I make up random songs to go with what we’re doing in the house. Music is fully ingrained in everything I do. And you just can’t beat the perfect soundtrack (none of which will ever contain current pop music. I find that to be a sellout)

I’m the girl who could talk your ear off all day long if you kept asking me questions. I’ll talk philosophy with you til the cows come home.

But I’m sure you have places to be.