Teaser

Today's prompt: What did people tease you about growing up?

You know, with all of the news and (horrible, heart-breaking) stories in the news lately regarding bullying, and the work I did on Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead back in March, I have been thinking a lot about my childhood and formative years in school.

I think I've finally come to the conclusion that I really wasn't bullied or teased very much.  Or, if I was, I didn't know about it or it didn't affect me so much that I remember it.  I was blessed to go to a small school (my graduating class had 70 people in it) from first grade through graduation and, during that time, I really developed a wonderful core group of friends -- many of whom I'm still in touch with via the magic of Facebook. 

Sure, I remember a time in elementary school when the Cutest Boy in School told me to "move out of the way, Fatty," and I remember tiny catfights with girl groups, but there was nothing like what some of these kids in the news are going through.  We didn't have Facebook walls to post on and phones with which we could text people hateful things. 

I certainly wasn't one of the Pretty Popular Girls. I was always round and a bit chubby.  I wore braces and had frizzy hair.  I was in band and theatre.  But I also was on the tennis team (heh...I was terrible) and part of the Fellowship of Christian [Anybodies] (we didn't restrict our group to athletes) and was voted Most Talented my senior year.

Maybe I was just lucky.  Or maybe it was just a simpler time or I just had such a supportive family and group of friends that I never felt the lasting sting of their words.

As an adult, however, I've found myself much more sensitive to the words and accusations of others.  I talked about that in detail here. Perhaps it's because I feel that, as an adult, I should have figured it out by now.  Or maybe I'm making up for lost time.

I try to remember at all times, even when it's hard, that however others may think of me, or whatever they may find fault with in my character or appearance, that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.



Photo by Lindsay



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The Tooth of it All

I dream every night. I don't always remember my dreams, but I definitely have something--usually a LOT of things--going on in my subconscious any time I fall asleep.  The only recurring dream I can recall having for pretty much my entire life is the appearance of teeth.  Usually my own.

Let me start out by saying that I have an irrational fear of going to the dentist. Even for simple cleanings, actually.  Okay...so maybe it's not irrational.  Lots of people hate going to the dentist, right?  I have very sensitive teeth and some very minor gum issues that can cause a lot of pain if Nurse Freakin' Ratched is playing Dental Hygienist on the day I have an appointment.

But in my dreams, it's never dentist's-office-related.  It usually has something to do with my teeth falling out or breaking, or getting hit in the mouth and losing a tooth.

Due to the fact that I loathe anything having to do with a dentist's office, I'd definitely call these recurring dreams "nightmares."  They occur often enough for me to have looked them up.  Here's what I've found:

One theory is that dreams about your teeth reflect your anxieties about your appearance and how others perceive you...Another rationalization for these falling teeth dreams may be rooted in your fear of being embarrassed or making a fool of yourself in some situation. These dreams are an over-exaggeration of your worries and anxieties....(source: www.dreammoods.com) 

Many other web sites concur with these same interpretations of teeth dreams.  It all sounds...well, a bit familiar.  I do tend to put ridiculous stock in how I look to others, and I also have tendencies towards extreme stress/anxiety. 

Give me Ryan Reynolds (a random, but recurring star in some of my more, um, exciting dreams) in a towel any day over these dreams! 

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I'm participating in a monthly blog challenge called Reverb Broads!  Check us out, and join in on the fun! #ReverbBroads 

Reverb/Restart - Prompt #1

So I'm starting off another attempt at a month of Reverb Broads prompts (see my shiny new badge over there on the right hand sidebar?).  I make no promises about keeping up with the prompts, but I figure, "New Month, New Start."  How many times have I said that? Heh.

Anywho, the first prompt is:

With what fictional character (book, movie, TV, etc.) do you most identify? Why?

Yeesh.  Not starting out with an easy one, are we?

And I'm already going to cheat on the prompt, because the first person that came to my mind was Julie Powell (as portrayed by Amy Adams) from the movie Julie & Julia, but she's not a fictional character.

But, stay with me here...

I think I'm a lot like Amy Adams' portrayal of Julie Powell.  Kind of manic, adorable redhead, sweet and supportive husband, kind of a bitch at times, strained relationship with mother, loves to read, wear pearls, cook, and fixates on projects.  

I do not, however, identify with the actual Julie Powell.   

I saw the movie first, which broke my cardinal rule of books-turned-into-movies, but I'm glad that it happened in that order in this case.  I love the movie.  I did not love the book.  I found the Julie Powell in the book to be a completely obnoxious, self-absorbed shrew.  She's quite lucky that the studio got the amazing and adorable Amy Adams to play her on screen, because it made even her worst character flaws forgiveable. 

....so maybe it's just that I'd like to identify with Amy Adams.  Hmmm.

But I mean...who WOULDN'T? LOOK AT HER!