30-Day Blogging Challenge, Day 2: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Marie

Day 2

Hmm. The good, the bad, and the ugly, huh? This could get interesting.

Of course, the first thing that comes to my mind is the scene in A to Z where Angelo talks about Blondie being throw-downable. That was one of the first scenes I wrote for that book, and I still enjoy it.

But obviously, I’m not Blondie. I’m not Angelo, either. (Not entirely, at least.) So, what can I tell you about me?

The Good

I love animals. I’m a total sucker for any critter. I don’t even step on spiders. (Earwigs, however, are a different story.)

I like to think I’m open-minded. I’m always the peacemaker, which a friend recently told me is common for adult children of alcoholics. The truth is, it isn’t really much of a strength. It’s all because I’m terrified of conflict. So maybe that should go in “the bad.”

I like cheese and wine. I like cheese with wine. I like cheese (and/or wine) with anything.

You know, I just like to eat. Let’s leave it at that.

I love fall. I love football and thick socks and warm soup and pumpkins on sale at the grocery store.

But I guess this is supposed to be what’s good about me, not what I like,

I brush every day and floss several times a week. How about that?

The Bad
My TBR shelves. They’re only stacked three rows deep.

I’m lazy. I procrastinate. I don’t exercise regularly. I buy way more books than I read. I watch too much TV. My house is a complete mess, and I don’t really feel inclined to fix it. I’m not the world’s greatest mom (although I’m not the worst, either, so I’ve got that going for me).

Man. It’s way easier to come with bad things than good.

I get hangry. I’m prone to sulking. My relationship with my mother is severely strained. I don’t really look forward to visiting my last remaining grandmother, even though I know I’ll miss her terribly after she’s gone.

The Ugly

Wait. How come there are two sections for negatives, but only one for positives? That doesn’t seem fair.

Well, I guess those are the rules.

Okay. This might be a bad idea, but to hell with it. I’m going to get real.

I’m a gossip.

I’m not proud of that, but I’ve begun to realize it’s true. Partly it’s that I’ve always sort of subscribed to the mindset voiced by Clairee in Steel Magnolias.

But partly, I think it’s because I’ve never fully understood the line between what’s gossip and what’s simply the truth. As a teenager, I was the victim of rampant gossip, but it was all bullshit. They said I was a slut, and a whore, and that I gave blowjobs in the boy’s bathroom in exchange for lunch money.

The Truth

The truth was, I was a virgin until I was only two months shy of turning eighteen.

So I’ve always understood “gossip” to mean “lies.” And I do NOT spread lies.

But to this day, I often feel like I don’t know where the line is between repeating something I know to be true and “gossiping”. If it isn’t mean-spirited or malicious, and I wasn’t sworn to secrecy, and I know it’s true, then… well, I’m just sharing what I know. I didn’t think that was considered gossip.

But I guess sometimes it is.

Believe it or not, this is actually sort of a new realization for me, so I’m not sure what I’m going to do about it. Sure, I could say that of course I’m going to resolve to do better, but right now, those would be empty words. The truth is, I’m going to have to spend some time analyzing the company I keep and trying to figure out exactly where that line is between “conversing” and “gossiping”.

The End

So, how about you? Care to share your good, bad, and ugly?

I think tomorrow’s post will include a giveaway, so be sure to stop by.