Tales from the Junk Drawer
A few months ago, my friends and I decided to create character profiles on each other. I’m not sure how we decided to do these. Honestly, it’s the kind of thing I would think of, so I’m probably to blame. It was actually a very interesting exercise, but the most enlightening comment came from my friend, who said, “Jennifer is always surprised when people don’t know the things she knows, but the things that she knows no one else knows.”
That one single statement may be the most accurate thing that has every been said about me.
Before you get the wrong idea, I don’t think I’m smarter than anyone else. I do consider myself to be a relatively intelligent person, not in the sense that I could program the launch sequence for the space shuttle, but I’m smart enough that you’d probably want me to be on your trivial pursuit team. I tend to know a few facts about a lot of seemingly unrelated things so I can generally hold a conversation regardless of the situation. For example, the square root of 196 is 14. (Thank you Miss Bell!) And the Tudor line died out in 1603 when James VI of Scotland became James I of England.
Who wouldn’t want to have those facts rattling around in their head?
Forget being anything as cool as an astrophysicist. Or a doctor. Forget being a skilled craftsperson who can build pieces of wooden furniture. Or something practical like a plumber or a mechanic. Nope. I know that Erwin Rommel’s wife, Lucie, was born on June 6th. Because why wouldn’t I know that?
I have an eclectic assortment of interests which generally have little to no relevance to everyday life. In additional to the random tidbits above, I like old phones, old movies, and typewriters. I don’t like old TVs. They’re very heavy and cumbersome. And the picture isn’t good. Give me a brand new smart TV with all my old movies on it and a fully functioning candlestick phone. What could be better?
I’m the person who would be happy visiting a museum in a new city as opposed to going to a crowded beach. I enjoy learning about new things. I have a never-ending bucket list that grows with each new random idea that pops into my head.
Don’t get me wrong. My train of thought makes perfect sense for someone who is a writer. In my mind, all these strange and interesting facts fit together in a colorful mosaic and for some reason this makes sense to me.
Over the years, I’ve made several attempts to start a blog. Some attempts have been more successful than others but ultimately they have all ended with me running out of ideas. Now, I find myself wanting to reestablish my author platform which, in theory, should include a regular blog.
This quest brings my story full circle. In looking through possible ideas for blog posts and what might be effective blogging techniques, I’m reminded that we should write what we know. And then I remembered my friend’s comment. I also remember the way my friends look at me and shake their heads.
So, I’ve decided to create a blog series titled From the Junk Drawer. I’m choosing this title because sometimes my mind is a bit like that messy drawer we all have in our kitchens. You know the one: the one where random items migrate never to be seen again. The one where three birthday candles, a brown leather shoestring, six screws of various sizes, and a half used matchbook from a Tiki bar at the beach reside in a strange harmony. My mind is a bit like that; a junk drawer of random facts and tidbits.
I’m not sure how this will advance my author platform, but at least it will serve to save my friends from endless tidbits for trivia.
I intend to do my best to make this a weekly post, but I will go ahead and admit that sometimes I can be a bum so pray forgive me should I not meet that goal.
For the four or five people out in the internet world who might actually be interested in my ramblings, thank you in advance. To everyone else, thank you so much for stopping by, and yes, I really do think about these things.
All the Best!
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