Misanthrope

Every once in a while, I have a feeling that I am a Bad Person. I don't pity the people who get flooded out for the third time in three years (even animals have mastered pattern recognition). I don't give quarters to homeless people (it's extortion of the bleeding hearts, not community service). I threw away my United Way pledge card (touching, but I won't get into the pattern of forced giving). I refused to buy a pumpkin at Applebee's last night (no cash).

Despite the large body of evidence attesting to my miserly personality, here is what I will do:
Donate to the Shriners outside of Walmart
Give to missions work at my church (where I am assured that all of the money goes to where I designate)

What I won't do:
Help people who don't help themselves
Perpetuate the recipient's sense of entitlement
Pay for someone else's systematic poor choices

I think that welfare is misused just as much as it helps. I think that given a chance, people would rather support private causes than government sponsored charity. For once, I'd like to see the government give me choice on who I am going to assist. I am even willing to accept a mandate that X% of my income goes to charity, so long as I can pick which charity it goes to.

This is one reason why I am a bad person.

Some self-disclosure

The following was originally written to be part of my Facebook profile. It ended up being a bit too cerebral, and so it will reside here.

The last three months have been some of the most defining of my life. I graduated from college in May, which ended up being a little anticlimactic. After five years of working your butt off, they hand you an empty binder, mail you a diploma, and wish you well, patting you on the back with one hand and holding out the other for a donation.
I left a lot of myself at college, especially the parts of me that were desperate for the approval of others and defined myself by being miserable. As unsettling as it is, I’m enjoying being happy, and there’s a few things that are helping me stay that way.
My previous experiences in the work force had me thinking that my destiny was to work as a cubicle rat with people that neither enjoyed their work or each other’s company. Thankfully, I took a job with a company that proves the opposite. I’m using my degree to do exactly what I want, at a place that is going to get me where I want to go. Sure, it’s not perfect, but it’s a damn sight better than I thought I’d ever get.
My cynicism took a serious blow a few months ago, when I met the man who is now my fiancé. I don’t want to be one of those horribly sappy couples, so suffice to say that B.J. challenges me, supports me, and loves me, and I adore him for the person that he is.
My life has taken on a new direction…I was expecting monotony and loneliness after graduation, and instead I found entirely new challenges and someone to take them on with me.

So this is my life now, and I’m pretty damn lucky to have it.

First, a meme

The ABCs of Me

Accent: I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, which is smack dab in the middle of the Midwest—known for no accents. The most that I can convince myself that I have is a slight lazy tongue (“Gonna” as opposed to “Going to”).

Breakfast or no breakfast: I like breakfast, but I almost never have the chance to eat a real one. Given my druthers, I’d start each day with a bowl of cereal and some toast, but the most I ever have is a couple of cereal bars and a cup of tea at my desk. I indulge my craving for breakfast with Cracker Barrel’s blueberry pancakes once every blue moon.

Chore I don’t care for: Packing and anything remotely related to the same. It’s completely monotonous and I put it off as long as I can, regardless of how much I’m looking forward to the trip.

Dog or Cat: Dogs, plural, but I can only claim one of the three that live at my permanent address. Pepper, the Boston Terrier, is small, but makes up for it with personality.

Essential Electronics: My cell phone and MacBook Pro come to mind immediately, but my iPods (yes, plural) and I have a deeply special bond as well. I’ll be getting an iPhone in a matter of weeks, and I’m pretty sure that we’ll be inseparable as well. (Go ahead and call me a Mac-ophile. I’ll be too busy looking at my beautiful, functional, and completely integrated electronics to mind.)

Font: Verdana is a good, readable all purpose font, and should I need a serif, I’ll go with Garamond every time. Comic Sans is horrible and should only be used when kindergarteners are involved.

Gold or Silver: White gold or silver. Yellow gold is nasty looking.

Handbag I carry most often: Black Kate Spade bag…a graduation gift from my brother and sister-in-law. It is sleek and beautiful, and I love it.

Insomnia: HA! I need seven to eight hours of sleep a night to be functional, and my body does an excellent job of seeing that I get it. I fall asleep in long car rides (where I’m not driving), while talking on the phone, on the couch…you name it.

Job Title: Project Engineer

Kids: I don’t have any, and I don’t want any at the moment. I’d like a few in the future, but right now I’m enjoying spoiling nieces and nephews.

Living Arrangements: My permanent address is with my parents in St. Charles. Work has sent me to Indianapolis, so I live in an extended stay hotel during the week, and drive home on the weekends, when my time is split between my parents’ home and B.J.’s place. Come May of next year, I’ll be moving out forever, probably to an apartment for a while.

Most Admirable Trait: Is there a difference between an “admirable” trait and a ‘best’ trait? I’d have to say that at the moment, my most admirable trait is my ability to *ahem* creatively embellish any situation to the most strategic advantage. In other words, I am a damn good BS-er.

Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: I had a very smart mouth, which got me in a lot of trouble.

Overnight hospital stays: I haven’t had any so far.

Pet Peeves: Chewing gum, being patronized, poor grammar (especially text-speak), adult childishness, MTV’s concept of reality programming, commercials, the majority of garnishes (i.e. the green stuff on Italian food), taxes (and the welfare system), being bored, electronics that don’t work as they should, adolescent females

Quote: “I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him quietly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him.” – Mark Twain

Reason to smile: At the risk of being sappy, B.J. He’s a hilarious guy, and when he’s not cracking me up, he’s making me feel better about myself and grateful that I have him.

Siblings: I have three natural siblings (two older brothers and a younger sister). My two brothers are married, so that brings my total up to five. (B.J. has two brothers, and they have spouses, so there’s an eventual four more.)

Time I wake up: Usually around 6AM, EST nowadays. Darn time zones.

Unusual Talent or Skill: I can turn my tongue into a three leaf clover shape, which makes me popular with the three and under crowd.

Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: I will never touch an onion.

Websites I visit daily: reader.google.com (which is kind of a cop-out), but when pressed, I read xkcd.com, questionablecontent.net, wsj.com, and a few other blog-type sites.

X-rays: Other than dental x-rays, and checking out a sprain when I was in elementary school, I’m a novice.

Yummy Stuff: I love Italian food, cheddar cheese, fresh fruit, and Macaroni Grill’s bread.

Zoo Animal I Like Most: Probably penguins. They’re so somber and comic at the same time.