Three Words

Yesterday, G and I were sitting happy hour at The Beach Bar (Don't hate on us too much.We'll be home soon...)

Anyway, at the bar were those "conversation starter" cards.  Now clearly, neither one of us necessarily needs help in that department (unless I'm "small talking" at a party but we've already covered this topic at length) but he grabbed the cards and started asking me questions.  It was fun.

"What do you most love about your hometown?"
"If you could be sure that you would not be harmed in any way, which would you rather do - skydive or dive with sharks?"
"If you could meet anyone, past, present or future, who would you meet?"
"What three words do you think your family would use to describe you?"

Wait - what?  Say that again?

I never thought about it.  What WOULD they say?  What would anybody say?  I THINK I know what they would say?  Or am I thinking of what I WANT them to say?

I'm surely not hinting at folks to describe me in three words now (or even any time later) - it just made me think.  (And I've had a lot of time this here week to just think.  It's been lovely.  Really lovely).

But truly - when it comes right down to it - we really have NO IDEA what other people REALLY think of us.  That's kind of zonky.

What if how I think others perceive me is COMPLETELY different than how they really DO perceive me?  What if I think I'm HYSTERICAL and everyone else can only tolerate me in small doses (with lots of wine nearby).   What if I think that folks are thrilled to see me when, in reality, they try to turn and walk in the other direction all stealth-like, hoping that I won't see them.  What if I think my students love me and can't imagine their childhood without me when in actual fact, they wish that they took up soccer instead?

Damn.