I ran into a friend at the grocery store the other day.
This is not surprising because a) I have lots of friends who eat and b) I eat lots of groceries. This particular day I was just running into the grocery store while I was on my way home from … the grocery store. A different grocery store.
THAT’S the way I roll. I am a rolling ball of excitement who visits not one, but two and sometimes three grocery stores in a row. A remarkable feat when you consider I grow all of my own vegetables. And make everything else out of kitty litter and water bottle caps.
What is it I’m buying then?
Well, on this particular trip it was a package of hot Italian sausages, buns, tortillas, sour cream and a copy of an organizing magazine.
I ran into a friend who gave me a big hug and kiss. This is not surprising because a) I’m very cute and b) this friend is very kissy.
In fact 3 aisles later some man pointed to my lip marked cheek and jovially asked who’d been kissing me. I slapped him in the face with my sausage and screamed INAPPROPRIATE POINTING, INAPPROPRIATE POINTING. It’s kind of a blur but I think I somehow got hold of a whistle and started blowing it too.
It was probably an overreaction on my part. I’ve been a bit jumpy lately. But it’s amazing what people let you get away with after the tiniest of nervous breakdowns. I’m thinking of robbing a bank.
Anyhow, Kissy-Monster friend and I were talking and she described me as having a “steely resolve”.
Really? I have a steely resolve? I guess I do. That’s fun. I’m not sure I ever would have thought of myself that way, but now that she mentioned it … I think she’s right. If I were to describe myself, “steely resolve” probably wouldn’t be the words I’d use. Which got me to thinking … how would I describe myself if I could only use one word?
Kind? No. Even though I am kind in a lot of cases it’s not what defines me I don’t think.
Smart? You bet. I can spell the word Chihuahua without a dictionary AND I can tell you what temperature it is in Fahrenheit if only given the current temperature in celsius. And a pen and paper. And access to Google.
Funny? Come now.
Then it came to me. I’m determined. It might not be a great word to describe myself to other people but it’s who I really am. Others would probably describe me as energetic. Or wildly engaging with just a touch of mystery.
But to me … I’m determined.
You know what I’m going to ask now don’t you? And I want you to really think about it. It might not be as easy as you think.
If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Funny Kind Smart Caring Clever Happy Angry Damaged Mischievous?
Or maybe Steely?
Have a good weekend,
Determinedly,
![](https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/signaturetransparent.png)
A special bonus for everyone who scrolled down below my signature ... my organizing is going well, I'm getting rid of a lot of crap, and piling a lot more of it in my dining room while I decide whether to give it away, sell it online or have a garage sale.
So far I've added 3 convenience/organization products to my kitchen that have made an absurdly huge difference in how easy my kitchen is to use. I'll tell you about those in a post later on.
I am mid basement tackle. If you haven't seen the basement storage racks I built years ago take a look at them. I'm thinking about ... removing them. But probably just altering them. I need to make more room for my vegetable racks and grow lights.
That's it, I just wanted to give you a tiny update on the whole January purge.
For some odd reason, the first desciptive word for myself that came to mind was "sparky".
Not how I planned to decribe myself in any kind of professional environment or in my self- written obituary, but a good word to how I fell about myself right now.
And maybe I WILL add it to both my professional descritiln and my obit......
Seems like a really good word to me! ~ karen
In our 8th grade yearbook i was voted "Most Resourceful". I was thrilled! I didn't covet "prettiest eyes" (ick) or even "most likely to succeed" (too much pressure). "Most resourceful" served me well for the next 45 years and counting...
I guess I haven't changed much since 8th grade because I still value resourcefulness above most things. I can find the easiest way to untangle that necklace, wrestle a kayak onto the roof of my car or fix a drainage problem. I became a Landscape Architect, a profession that maximizes creativity and Yankee ingenuity. I solve technical and aesthetic problems and make the design fit your needs.
But if I can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear why can't I find a good man??
At the somewhat mature age of 80, I would describe myself as "resilient".
Bossy know it all
Complex
Me too! Determined. I will roll a rock up a hill, even when it keeps rolling backwards. I will spend an hour untangling a necklace. I will somehow brings things home in a car that shouldn't be able to carry said items. Don't confuse it with patience, because I have none with people, only accomplishments. I sometimes wish I had directed all this determination to something other than pushing rocks, untangling necklaces, and bringing home unwieldy furniture.
LOL, didn’t see you at the dinner table growing up, but you are obviously my sister from another mother. I call it my dog-with-a-bone personality. Things yes, people, not so much.
Dog with a bone personality! I like it! And I'm honored. I would trade two of my three brothers for a sister.
OPTIMISTIC
My son once told me, "You're not naive, that's not the word. There should be a special word for you."
Loyal.
Loyal. I will go to the ends of the world with you.
Pragmatic. Yup. That’s me.
Helpful (mostly)
Inventive (often)
Persevering (regularly)
Game. (always)
Unique. -- audacious