wee doors banging

There’s a meme on Facebook at the moment where you write 25 random things about yourself that your friends may not realise, then send it to your friends and get them to do the same. Normally I don’t bother with these “do this zany fun thing then spam your friends” requests that seem to infest Facebook, but this one intrigued me. What 25 random things would I write about myself and could I successfuly transplant the idea to blog land?

Here’s my list. To make it, I tried not to think about anything in particular then jotted down more or less 25 base ideas in the order they popped into my head, in a kind of automatic writing exercise. These notes were then fleshed out into the list below.

Here we go…

1. Details are important to me. I am mentally noting and correcting all your grammar and spelling mistakes.
2. I’d like to read something other than science fiction but have yet to find another genre that can hold my interest for an entire book.  I am also a frustrated science fiction author, frustrated by lack of skill and imagination.
3. I once hit a world champion boxer in the face with a door, and broke someone’s nose playing laser tag. I’ve had forty stitches, two operations, seen four of my own bones (including my skull) and at one time thought I’d broken my back after a spectacularly misguided jump. I am dangerously clumsy and accident prone.
4. I worry that I am not as smart as you think I am.
5. Sometimes I wonder if modern civilisation is a practical joke that has got out of hand. When the Martians come back and are all “Ha! Only kidding!”, I will laugh until they vaporise us all with a Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator.
6. I share Woody Allen’s views on immortality.
7. I am careless and generous with money. If I was rich, I would be a philanthropist. As it is, I just have no money.
8. I believe government has a place in business, but not vice-versa, and that  government and religion should not mix.
9. I’ve never smoked tobacco or taken drugs, ever. Not even “just a bit to try it”.
10. Cooking, history, the arts and world affairs: things I wish I knew more about, but things that are not interesting enough to actually make me want to learn more about.
11. I need to walk and cycle in the forests and hills, alone. For the love of your God, do not approach me when I am in this mood, I think I am part Yeti. Afterwards though, I will be happy.
12. I like coffee that cleans spoons and stains furniture, and drink too much of it.
13. My “Mastermind” specialist subject would be “Commercial dance music of the early 1990′s”.
14. I am immensely impressed by people who can speak foreign languages. I would like to learn two more languages myself – one useful, one obscure – but just so that I could show off at parties.
15. I am a very bad swimmer and runner.
16. I am very friendly when I’ve had a few drinks, and love everyone. Even you.
17. I am only interested in football (soccer) once every two years, for the Euro and World Cups, but  I played goalkeeper for my school and Scout teams.
18. I find it difficult to be serious and grown-up. Based on my interests, I figure my “personality age” is around 14.
19. Vegetarians, Christians and dog owners confuse me. I can’t understand why anyone would want to do any of those things.
20. If I wasn’t a software developer, I would likely be an electrician like my three brothers. Or possibly a long distance lorry driver. Maybe a hitman.
21. Shame has no place on the dancefloor.
22. I am a competent DIY-er, which I find both immensely convenient and immensely inconvenient at times.
23. I like raw vegetables, well done sausages, sandwiches and spicy food of all kinds. I drink dark, strong, big bodied ales and believe lager is for the weak.
24. I find holidays stressful and dull. I suspect this just means I’ve been going on the wrong sort of holiday.
25. I have no idea what I would do without the internet.

Food for thought, passing psychiatrists and potential employers digging up the dirt on applicants.

So now it’s your turn: make your own list of 25 random things about yourself, as personal, funny or serious as you like, then post it in the comments or your own blog and link back to here. Have fun!