I met my friend Courtney in the sixth grade. As she was the new kid, I found her endlessly fascinating at the time, and still do. We were on the track team together in high school, and she ran like a gazelle; and still does. If the category had existed, you would have voted her "The person I want most to be like." She is creative, funny, and has a endless reserve of kindness. Without further ado, get to know a new face that you'll be seeing around here from time to time. Enjoy! - Rita25 Random Things about Me (Courtney)
1. I grew up in rural Vermont, but always felt more like a city girl. A very hearty city girl who liked to play in the woods. That remains unchanged.
2. I have vivid memories from the age of two - I can very accurately describe the floor plans, furniture, windows, etc. of our apartments/houses, etc. - even my clothing. My parents are amazed - and a little freaked out.
3. I was three when I saw my mother spill coffee on her lap. I have a large birthmark on my thigh and until the age of 5, I was quite convinced it was a "coffee stain".
4. Growing up, I read MANY inspirational books about people who had been paralyzed, disfigured by fire, over-dosed on drugs, etc. before becoming real Christians. I was always very fearful deep down that I wouldn't be a good Christian until something equally bad happened to me.
5. I love the quiet and stillness that comes with heavy snowfall - especially in the middle of the night.
6. I love to run outside - winter or summer - dark or light.
7. I can be a clever problem-solver, to the point that sometimes my friends reference "MacGyver" with me - as in "Courtney will MacGyver that".
8. My grandmother, Gigi, taught me that knowing how to be alone is a skill. She also helped me understand that when we have been truly loved - we are never really alone.
9. I find jealousy and envy illogical. Another person's happiness or good fortune does not mean that there is less in the world for you.
10. I know what it means to be forgiven - and I am forever thankful.
11. I also understand that true forgiveness can heal us - whether we are on the giving or receiving end of it.
12. I take insanely long showers.
13. Making my husband laugh is one of my greatest pleasures.
14. The decisions I've made out of fear are the ones I regret most.
15. Friends have asked me if working with "beautiful people" is hard on my self-esteem. On the contrary, it has only reinforced my understanding that NO ONE is perfect. And believe me, "beauty" fades very quickly without "smart, funny and kind".
16. When it was time to choose an instrument, I wanted to play drums. My mother thought the flute would be more "appropriate". I neither loved nor hated the flute - but I'm still thinking about the drums.
17. I am a reformed slob.
18. I love to find ways to use things beyond their intended purpose. (I'll make a halter top out of a silk pillow case or turn an umbrella stand into a table.)
19. When I saw my now-husband across a crowded room - I thought "A guy like that would never like a girl like me."
20. When my now-husband saw me across that same crowded room - he thought "She's probably a total snob." Thank God we were both wrong.
21. Growing up in the country, I still have what I call "bunker mentality". I think in terms of "stocking up on provisions". While this is practical - it did not serve me well while living in a tiny apartment in Harvard Square.
22. I have never expected one person to be my "everything".
23. I'm extremely independent and despite being very social - I really need time to myself.
24. My job is essentially an extension of all the things I loved to do as a kid - how lucky am I?
25. I've grown to be a relentless optimist. If someone is a glass half-empty type - they probably prefer me in small doses. And I them.
