Yes, I know. Here we go again. There’s this thing that’s been floating around Facebook for the past few days where people are answering a series of 19 (who picked that number?) questions about themselves. At least a couple of my friends have participated thus far, and while I’ve revealed more in a vlog during the summer, I thought I’d go ahead and give this a go as well.

Do any of these random facts actually surprise you?

1. Do you make your bed everyday?

Hahahahahahahahaha. No.

2. What’s your favorite number?

I’m not sure I really have one. If I had to pick, it’d be a toss up between 23 (because of Michael Jordan) or 16 (both because of Trevor Linden and because of the Super Nintendo, which was probably my favorite video game console of all time).

3. What is your dream job?

It would likely be some variant of what I’m already doing as a freelance writer. The biggest difference would be if I could pursue this with total disregard for the money and the only deadlines I’d have to face would be the ones I impose on myself. I’d write what I want, when I want, without the pressure of trying to run a profitable business.

4. If you could, would you go back to school?

Unequivocally yes. This builds on my response to the previous question. If money were no longer of concern, I think it would be great to go back to school to learn something for its own sake. The most stressful thing about going to school the first time around was the pressure to perform. I needed to do well on my assignments and exams. If I’m only there to learn for the sake of learning, I think that is one of the greatest existences any human can hope for.

5. Can you parallel park?

Yes, of course.

6. A job you had people would be shocked to know you had?

I volunteered one summer at a local hospital’s extended care unit. It’s basically like a retirement home for seniors who need around-the-clock medical care. I worked primarily with the physiotherapist there. All the residents used wheelchairs, but several still had limited use of their legs.

Part of the care program involved helping these residents out of their wheelchairs, so they could try to take a few steps. Some could walk unassisted (for very short distances), others relied on a walker, and some used the railings in the hallways. I also helped whenever there was a “field trip,” like going to Dairy Queen for some ice cream.

7. Do you think aliens are real?

Statistically, I find it very unlikely that we are only the lifeforms in the universe. They may or may not be alive today, and they may or may not have ever visited Earth, but there had to have been something out there at some point. The truth is out there and I want to believe.

8. Can you drive a stick shift?

Very poorly. I wouldn’t trust myself.

9. Guilty pleasure?

All the carbs. Pizza. Pasta. Baked goods… this wasn’t really a “guilty” pleasure until recently. My metabolism is definitely slowing down and I really shouldn’t be eating like this anymore.

10. Tattoos?

Nope.

11. Favorite color?

This has changed a lot over the years. I used to really like the light blue of the North Carolina Tar Heels (thanks MJ), then I liked the boldness of the red and black combination. If you look at my wardrobe today, it’s a lot of black and grey, but the deep red of Beyond the Rhetoric has stuck with me too.

12. Things people do that drive you crazy?

Drivers who don’t use turn signals. Drivers who leave their turn signals on and continue driving straight. People who are consistently late and/or don’t keep their promises.

13. Phobias?

While I wouldn’t go quite as far as to call it a phobia, I am known to flail like a little child when there’s a bee or wasp near me. Realistically, my biggest fear is not living up to my potential. I want to feel like my existence on this planet actually means something. What will my legacy be?

14. Favorite childhood game?

Street Fighter II. If I had to pick more of an IRL game, it’d probably be tetherball.

15. Do you talk to yourself?

Hang on. Let me ask him.

16. Do you like doing puzzles?

I really don’t have the patience for jigsaw puzzles. That said, I really enjoy puzzle games (like Tetris or Dr. Mario), logic puzzles and the like.

17. Favorite music?

This is another one of those things that has changed over the years. I’m still a big fan of ’90s hip hop and R&B. Linkin Park was really big for me. After playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band, I got into ’90s rock and alternative more than ten years after the fact.

These days, as cliche as it may sound, I dabble in a lot of stuff. After attending the Arcade Fire concert recently, I’ve been listening to Phantogram (they were the opening act). I’m a big fan of Kendrick Lamar, I enjoy Silversun Pickups, and I’ve got Metric on regular rotation too. Stuff like Tegan and Sara is my guilty pleasure, I suppose.

18. Tea or Coffee?

Coffee. All day. Every day.

19. First thing you remember you wanted to be when you grew up?

As far as I can remember, the first thing that really captured my interest was dinosaurs. I never really aspired to be a paleontologist, though. My first career-related aspiration was that of an architect, followed closely behind by a cartoonist.

What else do you want to know?