Before I get into anything else, I have two quick announcements. First, as of around noon EST on Saturday, "my very pregnant friend Danielle" needs a new nickname. Congrats to the whole family, and I can't wait to meet little Tyler. Second, I forgot to mention my little homey T-Roy's 1st birthday on Friday, and that was totally unacceptable. T-Roy, if you're willing to forgive me for that error, I'll forgive you for the big open-mouth kisses you were giving my wife yesterday. Deal? Sweet. And onto the post:
Like most people, I think of myself as a pretty complex human being. I can seem like completely different people depending on the situation, spanning the entire spectrum from shy and introverted to bizarre and wacky. Quite a few years back, I came up with the three things that I want people to say about me. I think they speak to the core of who I am, and they are as follows:
1. Good guy; cares about people.
2. Hates mustard.
3. Not a snoozer.
Please don't confuse this list (as many have) with what I want on my epitaph; this is what I want people to know about me as a living person to better understand me. I've been telling people this for years, and former employees of mine even gave me a framed certificate with the three points printed on it. If I could go back in time, I think I'd change the order of the second and third, but what's done is done.
First and foremost, I want people to know that I truly care about the welfare of my fellow man. I care much more about my own family and friends, but wishing the best for all people is a key ingredient to the entree that is Peter. I'd say it's the pasta to lasagna - providing the structure and defining characteristics of the tasty dish. And yes, that metaphor works all the way through the "tasty dish" part. Since point #1 is not inherently funny though, that's all you get to hear about that.
Second, I hate mustard. 'Hate' is a strong word, I realize, but I actually hate mustard. My friend Greg once asked why I hate it so much, and I replied, "I don't like the way it tastes." A simple statement, but a fact that can't be argued with. Why is this significant to my life? Most obviously, if you're making me a sandwich, I don't want mustard on it. If you're cutting my sandwich in half, make sure your knife doesn't have mustard on it first. If you're eating mustard next to me at a college football game in the mid 1980s, it had better not get on my sweatshirt. Yes, I'm talking to you Jason N. Yellow mustard, spicy brown mustard, honey mustard dressing - nope, not my thing. I don't like the way it tastes. The only minor exceptions I've ever made is for things that have mustard as an ingredient that I can't taste. For example, certain potato salads or deviled eggs have been ok in the past. If I can't detect the thing I don't like the taste of, I may go ahead. One hint of it though, and I'm done.
Perhaps less obvious, hating mustard is relative to my life because it speaks to the fact that I have strong opinions, I voice them, and I stand by them. However, as in the case of potato salad, I am willing to consider other sides and bend my stance if appropriate. For example, Greg asked me over the weekend if I'd eat at Carl's Jr. if they changed their ad campaign to something less offensive to my sensibilities. I said, "If they completely changed to something more like a Jack in the Box campaign, I'd seriously consider it." See? I'm not a monster.
Lastly, I am not a snoozer. Not a fan of the snooze button one bit. I don't get it, really. I determine what time I need to get up, set the alarm for that time, and get out of bed when it arrives (or before, as is too-often the case). Oh sure, I'm very tired and would love a few more minutes of sleep, but that's the time that I need to start the day, so I do. It's not just that, it's that I also don't understand how such a small amount of extra time would actually do anything for me. I've known people who purposely set their alarms an hour before they need to get up so they can snooze five or six times. That strikes me as just plain stupid. Why have a final hour of stop-and-go sleep when you could've slept soundly that whole time? Yeah, it's hard to get out of bed, I get that, but does falling back to sleep several times make it easier? Snoozers out there, please try to defend your position.
Why is not being a snoozer key to who I am as a person? I think it says a lot, actually. On the most basic level, I'm very time-oriented any hyper-punctual. Time is always a factor for me; if I didn't get up when my alarm went off, I'd be late, and that doesn't work for me. Beyond that though, it shows how I stand by my decisions. If I say I'm going to get up at a certain time, I'm going to do it. If I'm extremely tired because of a late night or a bad night of rest, I'll have to suck it up a little to get moving but I still will. It's a part of who I am, it extends well beyond the realm of sleeping, and based on conversations I've had with my parents, I'm pretty sure it's genetic.
So, I thought I'd start this week off by giving you, gentle readers, a little more insight into who I am at the core. At the very least, you now know more about how to make me a sandwich.
Like most people, I think of myself as a pretty complex human being. I can seem like completely different people depending on the situation, spanning the entire spectrum from shy and introverted to bizarre and wacky. Quite a few years back, I came up with the three things that I want people to say about me. I think they speak to the core of who I am, and they are as follows:
1. Good guy; cares about people.
2. Hates mustard.
3. Not a snoozer.
Please don't confuse this list (as many have) with what I want on my epitaph; this is what I want people to know about me as a living person to better understand me. I've been telling people this for years, and former employees of mine even gave me a framed certificate with the three points printed on it. If I could go back in time, I think I'd change the order of the second and third, but what's done is done.
First and foremost, I want people to know that I truly care about the welfare of my fellow man. I care much more about my own family and friends, but wishing the best for all people is a key ingredient to the entree that is Peter. I'd say it's the pasta to lasagna - providing the structure and defining characteristics of the tasty dish. And yes, that metaphor works all the way through the "tasty dish" part. Since point #1 is not inherently funny though, that's all you get to hear about that.
Second, I hate mustard. 'Hate' is a strong word, I realize, but I actually hate mustard. My friend Greg once asked why I hate it so much, and I replied, "I don't like the way it tastes." A simple statement, but a fact that can't be argued with. Why is this significant to my life? Most obviously, if you're making me a sandwich, I don't want mustard on it. If you're cutting my sandwich in half, make sure your knife doesn't have mustard on it first. If you're eating mustard next to me at a college football game in the mid 1980s, it had better not get on my sweatshirt. Yes, I'm talking to you Jason N. Yellow mustard, spicy brown mustard, honey mustard dressing - nope, not my thing. I don't like the way it tastes. The only minor exceptions I've ever made is for things that have mustard as an ingredient that I can't taste. For example, certain potato salads or deviled eggs have been ok in the past. If I can't detect the thing I don't like the taste of, I may go ahead. One hint of it though, and I'm done.
Perhaps less obvious, hating mustard is relative to my life because it speaks to the fact that I have strong opinions, I voice them, and I stand by them. However, as in the case of potato salad, I am willing to consider other sides and bend my stance if appropriate. For example, Greg asked me over the weekend if I'd eat at Carl's Jr. if they changed their ad campaign to something less offensive to my sensibilities. I said, "If they completely changed to something more like a Jack in the Box campaign, I'd seriously consider it." See? I'm not a monster.
Lastly, I am not a snoozer. Not a fan of the snooze button one bit. I don't get it, really. I determine what time I need to get up, set the alarm for that time, and get out of bed when it arrives (or before, as is too-often the case). Oh sure, I'm very tired and would love a few more minutes of sleep, but that's the time that I need to start the day, so I do. It's not just that, it's that I also don't understand how such a small amount of extra time would actually do anything for me. I've known people who purposely set their alarms an hour before they need to get up so they can snooze five or six times. That strikes me as just plain stupid. Why have a final hour of stop-and-go sleep when you could've slept soundly that whole time? Yeah, it's hard to get out of bed, I get that, but does falling back to sleep several times make it easier? Snoozers out there, please try to defend your position.
Why is not being a snoozer key to who I am as a person? I think it says a lot, actually. On the most basic level, I'm very time-oriented any hyper-punctual. Time is always a factor for me; if I didn't get up when my alarm went off, I'd be late, and that doesn't work for me. Beyond that though, it shows how I stand by my decisions. If I say I'm going to get up at a certain time, I'm going to do it. If I'm extremely tired because of a late night or a bad night of rest, I'll have to suck it up a little to get moving but I still will. It's a part of who I am, it extends well beyond the realm of sleeping, and based on conversations I've had with my parents, I'm pretty sure it's genetic.
So, I thought I'd start this week off by giving you, gentle readers, a little more insight into who I am at the core. At the very least, you now know more about how to make me a sandwich.
3 comments:
Hello son of mine. I am also very time oriented and am never late for an appointment. Maybe that's where you get it. I don't have trouble getting up in the morning either. I usually wake up before the 4:48 a.m. music starts playing every morning. But I AM a snoozer.
It's not that I crave the extra sleep. And don't cover your ears and make noise so you can't hear me, because you don't need to hear, just read. (Pete does that exact thing when anything even mildly sexual between his mother and I comes up) Spooning is one of gods gifts. During the night we (Elayne and I) tend to drift apart. When the music starts to play, it's a chance to reconnect for 9 minutes. And I get a chance to cop a feel too. (Sorry Pete) So.....being a snoozer can have some value. I love the snooze button. Paul
If I was ever going to consider the Snooze Button as an option, Anonymous and his "copping a feel" platform just ruined it for me. I am proud, card-carrying non-snoozer and it'll stay that way.
I seem to remember an award of some kind detailing these facts about you. Perhaps it was directed to Tony Musili instead...
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