And now for something REALLY different.

~ Hetty Eliot

No, seriously.

Blogger Jewish Young Professional (not a dating site) has issued the Anti-Self-Deprecation Challenge, and I thought, why not rise to the occasion? On the other hand, she has issued this challenge previously, so it’s taken a year or more for me to think of something. Y’all know it’s hard for me to say anything nice about myself.

Why I am doing this, I dunno. Change things up a little, I guess. Here are a couple of things I–shudder–don’t hate about myself.

In no particular order:

  • I’m a good student. Straight A’s got me nowhere, but if they did, I’d be set for life. In college, I’d haul my books to the kitchen when I woke up and I’d say goodnight to them last. I once won first place in a writing contest I didn’t even enter (when I used to be smart). And guess what? I never pulled a single all-nighter. Whoop de doo.
  • I’m good at my job. Well, that’s not saying too much. But if there’s a mystery to be solved, I’m the one to call. Mainly because I’m the only one who can find the “shift” key. I am the keeper of knowledge in the store and if I don’t know the answer, I know where to find it. I’m the go-to person for anything that’s needed, big or small, and I am famous for my patience. (To that last point, I should be famous for acting, too.)
  • I champion the underdog. There might be someone I don’t like, but when I realize no one else likes them either (except my boss), I immediately feel compelled to stand up for them. Bonus points if there appears to be a chromosomal issue going on. Maybe it’s atonement for the sins of my past in how I’ve treated people, but I can’t stand to see someone piled on who can’t defend themselves very well.
  • I have a conscience. Not saying I’m a good person–and by gum my conscience will remind me of that every day. Since I am not naturally inclined to be good and decent, I at least have a compass to point me in the right direction. Usually after the fact, but still. I actually believe in the whole “character is what you do when no one is watching” thing. Whoever is responsible in little things, can be trusted with big ones.
  • I have a winning smile. It’s not a Miss America Chiclet smile, but a sly little smirk that says, “Yup, this is all a big joke, and you and I are in on it.” People simply cannot help smiling back, even curmudgeonly randos walking down the street. I love when I can tell it’s against their will. (Conversely, I also have a death glare that I can utilize to wilt people in their tracks, but I’m not sure that I should like that about myself.)

Well, that’s about all I can muster for this decade!

I am closing comments because I don’t want anyone to think I’m fishing for compliments. As usual I would much prefer to hear about you. Thank you for those who have read.

14 thoughts on “And now for something REALLY different.”

  2. I’ll write a same post for myself.

    Also, you should definitely like the ability of giving death glares. I would like to do that as well, but not having any eyes (as my eyes are nothing but empty eye sockets) makes it hard to do.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You should write it, I for one would like to read it. And your eye situation–don’t despair, because the death glare is a state of mind too. Focus your energy towards the target and they’ll get the message. It’s like smiling over the phone, people can sense it.

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  3. I’ll add to that for you. You care, you take a stance even when you are hesitant for the right thing. You’re supportive. You take the time to listen and most importantly, you are yourself.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I used to be smart too – I was a borderline genius in grade school. “Straight A’s got me nowhere” lol. No one but me cared about my high-school grades after I finished high school. I was a good college student though; college was the best time of my life, but maybe that’s because I was usually manic at the time.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi fishrobber. My entire blog is an apologetic for how I got this way. High school is barely a blip in my mind at this point. I never wanted to think college would be the best time of my life, because I hoped that in life things would get better and better. But I had freedom to study what I wanted, to dream about plans, to be rewarded for hard work. And I met my fiance there.

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  5. I believe you. You sound like a very nice, talented person. Blogs are funny, but after reading enough posts by somebody, you begin to approach the level of understanding that a random, thirty second encounter would provide.

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  6. First off, I love that you decided to do this! I enjoyed reading this list. Having good study habits, being a keeper of knowledge and solver of problems at work, having a conscience – these are all things to be proud of. I also love that you included your contagious smile and highly effective death glare. You left off a knack for creating memorable character with subtle well-chosen details in short fiction along with writing skills generally, but I’ll forgive you because this is a great list.

    I guess this means it’s time for me to do something totally out of my comfort zone now like post a short story.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I thought I’d shock and awe you. I know you don’t find it very easy either. It’s funny, I don’t think either one of us would encourage anybody in the negative self-talk that we engage in, yet we do it to ourselves. I hope you post a short story, I for one would certainly like to read it!

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