Who Is My Favorite Person?
Posted: Sunday, November 06, 2011
by Melissa Swenka
MeliSwenk
People struggle so much these days with identities and who they are and what that means within a larger realm of social and political definitions or identities. It's difficult to pin down who my favorite person could be or is.
In the early years of my friend-seeking/making, I spent a lot of time looking for people who would help me feel better about myself. And by that I mean, "perfect" or "socially-accepted" people. People who were "popular" or "well-liked." Well, since I graduated from high school, I've grown enough as a woman that I can stop searching for people to fill the holes inside of me and I can start finding people who fill the holes in my life. Though it sounds rather slim, there is a difference between the two.
1) Do you absolutely have to laugh whenever the "camp fire" scene comes on from Blazing Saddles?
Because if you do, you're one step in the right direction to winning "Favorite Person" from me. I love people with a solidsense of humor, everything from satire to parody to ironic tribute. I love a good roast and unforgetable toilet humor. I also love eccentric comedians like those wacky Brits from Monty Python and the American song and dance man, Andy Kaufman. I grew up watching Saturday Night Live with classic comedians like Dana Carvey, Michael Myers, Adam Sandler, Will Farrell, Christina Wiig, and Chris Kattan. I'm also something of an afficionado of angry comedians like Dennis Leary, Lewis Black, and George Carlin. One of my favorite musicians is "Weird Al" Yankovic. Laughter has gotten me a long way through a lot of dark times, and if the first person you're laughing at isn't yourself--you have no sense of humor.
2) Do you honor your parents (or whoever it was that raised you)?
My mother instilled in me from a very young age that respecting your elders is important to being a good person. She took care of her own grandparents when they were ailing, and considered them more her parental figures than her biological parents. Being able to respect authority without losing yourself to it is a very important part of my personality. I don't believe true respect is absolute submission, but educated dedication and whole-hearted determination. I only ever want to hang out with people who respect me enough to be honest with me, even if the honesty may be hard to hear. That is often the role of a parent or caregiver in a person's life. Though their natural instinct is to comfort, it is often the parent who has to force their child to see the painful truths of life.
3) Were you ever a fan of the shows L.A. Law, Boston Legal, or Ally McBeal?
Then you're a shoo-in! I love a solid, educated debate and nothing warms my heart like a dashing closing statement from one, Alan Shore. While, I could get my fill on all the televised political debates recently, I would much rather get my fill with lawyer TV. Granted, I don't remember watching new episodes of L.A. Law--alas, I'm just not aged enough. Although, I'd probably make a nice pinot depending on where I was vinified--it is the first lawyer show I remember hearing about. I always wanted to watch it, but my mother said it was for adults only. I should probably hit up Hulu or Netflix... But I digress, there's nothing that stimulates my old Virgo brain like a heated debate. My mother always said I should have gone to law school, but a crippling stage fright hindered me. If lawyers worked under a spotlight, I'd sign up tomorrow!
4) Does sitting through an episode of Sesame Street or any series on MTV or VH1 make your brain feel like it's going to explode?
Good, that means you have an attention span larger than that of a gnat. Congratulations, you could probably be one of my favorite people already! Though she would deny it know, my mother used to force me to watch Sesame Street. She said it would teach me good things. It probably did, for the 30 seconds each segment would last. The only one that viscerally stands out is the Smokie Robinson "U've Really Got a Hold on Me" sketch. You can find in on YouTube, I'm sure. It scared the crap out of me, and it's images are still seared on my inner child's brain. That big U just chasing poor Smokie around like a harem girl on E. Geesh! Creepy! Anyway... speaking of attention spans... I need someone in my inner circle who can hold a decent conversation, even if we're just discussing complimentary shades of brown compared to the wooden seats we're inhabiting at the local steak house. As Berta, from Two and a Half Men, might say, "I need ya to hang in there, Zippy!"
5) Finally, do you think the clouds sometimes look like hands or farm animals?
If so, that means your mind is just open enough to suggestion that we can really have a good time after the game tonight. I love open-minded people who are willing to hear other, often contrasting, opinions to the ones they've always heard or always had. It's titilating to know that every person I see, who's a perfect stranger, is having a uniquely singular thought that I would probably never guess in a million years. I often think of it as simply untapped potential. While not everybody's thoughts are positive, there's still power behind it and a chance to make it positive before it becomes an act. There's also the potential that you believe in a higher power who molds as we spin. There's nothing greater than that!
So, what do you say? Are you one of my favorite people?
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Highly intelligent woman. Keep it up! Goodluck from lottosecretpower.
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