Friday, May 21, 2010

Me, Myself and I

A friend of mine on Facebook (waves frantically - hi Pam!) posted the following thoughts in rapid succession this morning. The first was the popular Eleanor Roosevelt quote:

"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people."


The second was this picture:

(I know. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by how ridiculously cool and thought provoking my friends are.) My response to the first was quick. I like to talk about all of those things. I suppose that means that my mind is not entirely great, but it's not entirely small, either. I think I can live with that. If I spend too much time concentrating on just one of those things, it becomes tedious. If I spend too much time with people who seem intent on just conversing on one of those levels, they soon become tedious to me as well. So, while it's not, perhaps, the most flattering conclusion to come to about the state of my mind, I'm pretty comfortable with it.

I was considerably less comfortable with the next question she posed. I think, based on the above paragraph, that I can be at least safe in saying that I wouldn't find myself tedious. I also know for sure that I would find myself to be funny. I know this because I crack myself up ALL the time. My track record with folks outside the social circle of me, myself and I is a little less solid. I hit and miss. But with myself? Shoot. I am the Queen. I am hiLARious. (Although - given other, less attractive attributes of my personality - it's entirely possible that, upon encountering myself, I would respond, "She's not NEARLY as funny as she thinks she is...")

I like attention. This is a trait that I do not like in other people, so I have a feeling that if I saw myself from the outside I would not like it in myself, either. I also like to be right. I am not above going out of my way to prove that I am right. I am fully aware of how obnoxious that is. But it's better than being wr-wr-wr- (Me and The Fonze. A ridiculous sense of cool isn't ALL we have in common) wrong. The Spin Doctors never formally thanked me for inspiring their 1991 hit Little Miss Can't Be Wrong, but I knew who they meant. Holla.

Oh! And I hate the phone. So maintaining a friendship with me can feel sort of one-sided sometimes. I probably wouldn't like that. I never pick up the phone. Ask anyone who knows me in real life. I'm sweating a little bit just sitting here thinking about it. Hate it. Couldn't tell you why, so don't ask. Just do. I also wait for other people to ask me to do things. I'm not big on initiating. I do know the meaning behind that one. It's a deep seeded fear of rejection. I don't respond well to it, so I don't set myself up for it. If I were trying to be friends with me, this little obstacle might be practically insurmountable. Neither me, myself nor I would make the call or suggest the plan.

But then I was thinking... (all aboard the thought train! chugga chugga chugga chugga WHOO WHOO!) I thought back to the original Eleanor Roosevelt quote. When I find myself with people who are all about the lowest common denominator, and all of the conversation revolves around who did what to whom (and how many times and where and who knew about it and ...) that is when I find myself quickly scrambling for the higher ground. I don't think that that is an attempt to give myself an opportunity to do the superior dance - I get uncomfortable - wondering if I have enough to contribute. I need the topic to CHANGE. On the other hand, when I find myself in the middle of a higher level, meeting of the minds sort of conversation I get equally nervous and try to bring things back to a 'let's keep it real' sort of place. (I was never very good at the superior dance, anyway...) Again - I don't do this because I can't keep up with a conversation based entirely on ideas (well, sometimes I do), but more because the thought of engaging in an entire evening of dialogue at that level, well, it exhausts me. It's tedious. It's only a wee tiny part of who I am.

I think this may be why I love facebook. I can be simultaneously immersed in conversations wherein I am discussing the meaning of life, planning my upcoming class reunion (I won't make you guess. It's the big 3-0), and exchanging double (and sometimes single) entendres more intellectually suited to my twelve year old. Often with the same people. Ah. There it is. We're all multi-faceted.

Given that - I think I would like myself - in small doses. I'd definitely buy myself a shot or seven. I'd totally friend myself on Facebook. If I got too intense (or too shallow) for myself, I could always change the subject. So, while I wouldn't necessarily want a steady diet of me, and I'm not sure I'd want me as a BFF, I think I'd like myself ok.

And getting all of my own pop culture references without a hint would be a total bonus.

14 comments:

Cheryl said...

Deep Thinking with Mommakins. Is this going to be a regular Friday feature? If so, let me know now so I can have some witty and responsible remarks to add to the conversation.

Anonymous said...

Haha! Your responses sound a lot like mine would!!

Macey said...

Dude.
This is me. I think I'm WAAAAAAY hilarious. Sometimes, when I tell a story and I think something I am saying or doing is funny...I laugh. At myself. LOUDLY. And sometimes, people stare at me like I'm a wee bit 'tarded.
Which is fine. I like to think that I would be friends with myself, but sometimes I'm so bitchy to myself that I think I couldn't be friends with a rag like me.
WTF? Does that even make any sense?
This is an awesome post. Hilarious.
Cuz some people like to talk on that "higher plain" of ideas ALL.THE.TIME. and it gets really really old. And those people who do it ALL the time? They take themselves way to seriously.
And people who talk about themselves all the time? Ugh. Barf. I'm in a group right now that the people talk about themselves and small topics that they've turned into HUGE topics and it's all I can do to not say, "Go jump in the river for goodness' sake." Which wouldn't be good. I want to stab my eyes out for something to do...

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

Ooh, I don't know. I went through a period during which I was so unhappy all the time that I don't know how anybody stood it. But the last few years I'm a happy camper most of the time, and a lot more pleasant to be around. So I'm just gonna say at least I don't suck the life out of the room any more!

Claudya Martinez said...

I friended myself on FB. I hope I never have to unfriend myself.

Mandy said...

Well I guess I'm honored that I'm your facebook friend. And now I see why you never offered to take my call when I was calling a few of my blog readers around my one year anniversary..... I totally get that, by the way. Many people are funnier in writing than in direct conversation. Sometimes it can be awkward or too much pressure or just more dreamy to be in print only.

I find things funny but I actually don't laugh a lot out loud. So maybe I'm weird. I catch myself saying, "that's funny!" but then I'm not laughing over it....??? anyway.... I digress....

I think I'm like you in most ways except for the plan starter/ initiator. I'm definitely known to start an idea or plan a social outing. (it's the follow through that I struggle with at times).

Overall though, I know I'd like you and I like myself too, most days. Everything in moderation is key though, just like you said! Like beer and cookies too. :)

Alex the Girl said...

I think I'd like myself if I was an 11 year old fifth grader while meeting myself. As for Roosevelt's statements on the triple p's, if we spent all of our time being a great or even average mind, all we'd have to drink would be wine or tea. Without being simple minded, if even for a moment, we'd never be able to drink a beer.

Unknown said...

I think I'd like me if I met me, but chances are that won't happen. I tend to avoid me.

mzbehavin said...

I don't like me in the mirror........

I don't like the sound of my own voice...... ( not the one
I hear coming out of my mouth, but the recorded, played back to me version.... how come it doesn't SOUND like me?? )

I definitely don't like me on those very special, marked in red , days on my calendar......

I don't even think my mother ( the woman who allowed me to hang around in her uterus for 9 months) likes me on those special days of the month.......

I think I'd like me better if I didn't know me so well.....

Maybe I should try being pen pals with myself.....

I really am so much better on paper......

anyway.........

still like/love you and this blog!!!!!

Rosa said...

Let me tell you something, as someone who does know you....you are definitely hilarious!!! And I would be much poorer in my life if I didn't know you. So rest assured that it is a wonderful thing knowing you and if you met you and chose NOT to hang out with you, you'd be missing out on something really awesome!!

Anonymous said...

Whoa. That's too deep...I think I'd like myself. I think. And I hate the phone too...why is that??

Mama-Face said...

I heard that first quote several years ago and it had a huge impact on me. I don't know that it changed the way my mind works...

I love that you talk about all three minds coexisting together. Sometimes I can talk and or think about all three of those things at the same time.

We have so much in common-and not just our separate HS 30 year reunions.

That picture is giving me a lot to think about. Maybe I will talk about it. Could take some serious mental dumpster diving.

Gibby said...

I totally crack myself up! I'll think I'm so darn funny and then a couple of months later I'll read something I wrote and think...maybe that wasn't as funny as I thought. Hhhmmmm.

As for friending myself of FB? Nah. I'd get sick of all the kiddo pictures. KIDDING. (See? Was that funny? I think so...)

Carma Sez said...

I can be very small minded at times, I'll just go ahead and admit it :D