random facts about willa, written february 6, 1998: i love valentine's day, halloween, and, to a lesser extent, christmas. i don't care much one way or the other about thanksgiving, except that i like my mom's thanksgiving dinner. i don't get very excited about easter. or the fourth of july, or any other holidays that i can think of at the moment. my favorite holiday is my birthday. i love cats. all cats. if i visit someplace and there's a cat, i'll definitely try to make friends, and i'll have my feelings hurt if it doesn't cuddle up with me. i'm not much interested in dogs. i don't dislike them, i just don't connect with them for some reason. i love the olympics. the winter olympics much more than the summer ones, though. downhill skiing is probably my favorite event. i love books about mountain climbing. i have no idea why. i also like books about sailing, or diving, in fact, all kinds of outdoor adventure-type stories where people are testing their endurance against nature. but mountain climbing ones are the best. i also like books about medical adventures--the stories of people's journeys through life-threatening and oftentimes fatal illnesses. again, i have no idea why. it's not triumph over adversity, because there's seldom any triumph. maybe just the grace of the human spirit when faced with the inevitable. the examination of the will to live. i've never had a beer or a cup of coffee. i don't know how to swim. i took lessons as a child, but they never took. the last one i remember was one in which the instructor let me float on my back out into the middle of the pool, oblivious, and then had to rescue me when i realized where i was. i didn't go back after that, and i never took another lesson. it scares me not to know how to swim, but not enough to take lessons again. in spite of that, i love the water. i'd rather be by the ocean than almost anyplace else. in spite of that, i hate to be on the water. i get seasick on boats. i don't like motion that i can't control. revolving restaurants, for instance. i hate to cook. i'd far rather eat a cheese sandwich or a cup of noodles or a handful of crackers than actually cook anything. i'm very impatient. i hate to wait for anything. when i want something, i want it now. delayed gratification doesn't work for me. i know what i want and i go out and get it. usually. i'm much more likely to sit back and listen than i am to venture an opinion. mostly it's fear that my opinions won't be valued. i'm not sure where that comes from. i apparently have a slight self esteem problem that's really only become apparent lately. it's surprised me. i almost always hate pictures of myself. that's why i'm forcing myself to do the picture-a-day thing here. it's getting me over my fear of having my picture taken by giving me control over it. i don't take criticism well. i tend to take it as a personal attack, even when it's well-meant. i was in the national honor society in high school, and i was one of two merit scholars. i was also in future homemakers of america. huh. they got that wrong. i think i'm a good driver, although i've had two car accidents due to inattention on my part. i never watch television or listen to the radio or read the newspaper. i'm woefully ignorant of current events. home | index | notification webcam | dreams | mood swings | tea leaves | forum books | music | reflections | guestbook | postcards | bio | search copyright © 1998 willa g. cline