Ten things you (probably) don't know about me

I like to fancy myself as a pretty eccentric guy. Though funny for the most part, I'm also often perceived as a bit mysterious. So, with this piece, I wanted to pull back the curtain ever so slightly and reveal some of my personality traits and quirks that may not be immediately apparent. What makes me tick? I'm not sure... Let's find out together!

Okay, I'm just going to jump right into this piece for you guys. Bear with me, I'm just going to list these things about me as they come to mind. Please try not to judge here, folks. 

NUMBER 10

I really enjoy chewing on plastic or plastic-like objects

That's right. Starting off strong with this one. Those who are closest to me know this for a fact and often find it slightly annoying. Now, when I say plastic and plastic-like objects, I don't mean like Tupperware or toys. However, plastic spoons, forks, bottles, straws, bags, bottle caps, or cups are almost never safe from my wrath. I basically destroy the stuff. Nine times out of ten, I'm walking out a restaurant chewing on a straw. 

I don't eat it, though. You sick freaks.

Also worth noting, never would I even consider chewing on a pen cap. I'm not a barbarian. 

NUMBER 9

I keep a copy of Shakespeare's greatest works in my car

Since the first vehicle I owned, I've always kept a collection of William Shakespeare's greatest works with me. Often hidden under the passenger seat lies what I consider to be some of the greatest pieces of writing ever penned. Regular people might keep a bible in their car. Not me. Also, if fate decides to take me while I'm operating my motor vehicle, at least whoever arrives to the scene will know I had a respectable taste in literature. 

NUMBER 8

Living in Osaka, Japan is a dream of mine

...And before you ask, no, I don't know Japanese. That doesn't matter though. What matters, is that for the past couple of years, I have dreamt of living in the far east. I'm infatuated with the culture and its people. The respect, ingenuity, efficiency, history, and natural beauty Japan upholds are all things that inspire me. Plus, Japan has the best of everything and it is all rather close together. Beaches, valleys, mountains, megacities, and countrysides are all within train distance of one another. You can't beat that.

Why Osaka specifically? Well, it is easily considered to be one of Japan's largest and post prosperous prefectures. It heads a body of water, yet is positioned inland and usually safe from tsunamis (which are all too common for Japan), it is the food capital of Japan, and is all around beautiful. Plus, I have a few contacts online that live in the greater Osaka area.

So, there you go. One day.

NUMBER 7

I may have a moderate case of obsessive compulsive disorder

Self-diagnosed, of course. I just have to have everything a certain way, much to the annoyance of my girlfriend, Cate. The way objects in my room are placed, how I wash my clothes, the way my video games are organized, my outfits, even down to the even number my car radio volume has to be on while I listen to it. Seriously, you'll never catch my radio on like volume thirteen or something. I think everybody has episodes of behavior like this from time to time, but for me, it's all the time. 

There are times I literally have to refrain from reorganizing Cate's entire apartment because she a has a poster too high up on one wall or nothing on the other wall to balance that poster out. Clutter also annoys me, and sometimes after daily living in my room or Cate's apartment will drive me nuts until I address it. 

NUMBER 6

Self guilt is a larger part of my life than I'd like it to be

Let's face it, none of us are in our ideal positions in life. We all aspire to be more. There I times I feel guilty for working an entry-level, minimum wage job and continually putting the expansion of my college education on hold. The fact is, guilt gets to me sometimes. With that said, I learned a long time ago that living life anywhere else but in the moment is a waste of time. The future changes by the second and life constantly adapts to conditions around us, much of which we have no control over. I'll go back to school at some point, and right now, that's good enough for me. I continue to write and hone my craft, at least. 

I also blame strained relationships with old friends and even some family members on myself. Between immaturity and just plain stubbornness, people have come and gone. If you're one of those people reading this right now, I do miss you and value you what you contributed to my life. Message me, text me, most of all forgive me. 

I could go on forever, but I won't. That's a topic for a different post.

NUMBER 5

I'm somewhat of a collector

I've been collecting comic issues now for about four or five years and already have over two-hundred original comics. I was inspired to collect after watching Iron Man 3 in theaters a few years back and the rest, as they say, is history. Characters like Spider-Man, Venom, Hobgoblin, Spawn, Scarlet-Spider, and even Bruce Lee round out my comic collection. 

I've also compiled a small collection of my favorite Professional Wrestling masks. From Lucha Libré stars to Japanese Wrestling legends, I currently own a little over ten masks with a prices ranging from twenty to a hundred and fifty dollars! I love masks and have since a kid (one of the many reasons I love Halloween). They are all proudly on display in my room. 

NUMBER 4

My favorite film is GoldenEye

The first VHS tape I can remember begging my parents to buy me was the seventeenth James Bond film, titled GoldenEye. I played the tape until it unravelled and can recite it line-for-line to this very day. I'm pretty sure anything James Bond, especially that movie, are woven into my DNA at this point. Not too long ago, I even dedicated myself to writing for the most established GoldenEye site on the web. 

Again, it's that respectable taste.

NUMBER 3

I almost refuse to take a serious photo

I hate the way I end up looking in photos if I don't make a goofy face or pose. There is something about my real smile that I don't like in pictures. I feel as though it always looks insincere when I try to take a regular old photo... So, I avoid doing so whenever possible. Plus, I want to be able to look back at such memories and not be embarrassed.

NUMBER 2

My favorite number is forty four

Now, so what right? Well, there's actually a pretty funny story connected to this. Firstly, it has nothing to do with any sports jersey number. It all started back in elementary school when I was that kid playing James Bond games on his Nintendo 64. I was particularly good with a certain firearm in the game, a .44 Magnum. So boom, favorite number. Now, the real kicker is when I was asked by my teacher what my favorite number was in third grade one day. It was a typical ice-breaker exercise to get a new class of students familiar with one another and guess how I, the weird kid who just moved back to New York from North Carolina and knew no one in the whole school, explained why forty four was my favorite number... That's right, I told my teacher and the third grade class that forty four was my favorite number because my favorite gun was a .44 magnum. No back story, nothing else said.

Thanks for having me class. Glad to be here. I promise I won't shoot you with a .44 magnum.

NUMBER 1

People's perception of me is something I find interesting

Though my actions may not directly represent such a statement, as I dress and act as I see fit (depending on the situation), I'm constantly trying to analyze people I interact with on a daily basis. I try to have empathy and put myself in other people's shoes. At the same time, I want to know how their senses are taking me in. What messages am I giving off? What observations have they made and what about me immediately jumps out. This could be strangers, family, coworkers, or even a crowd of people at the New York State Fair. Truth be told, I still care what my fourth grade crush thinks about me, though I'm sure she doesn't much at all. 

I like reactions. I don't look to get a rise out of people, I look to get a reaction. I want something I'm wearing to engage you. I want the way I look to grip your attention. I want my personality to stay with you. I want you to feel, one way or another.

Imposing on emotion what a true writer seeks to do, so I guess I've chosen the right passion to chase. 

Alrighty, so that about does it. These were ten things you might not of known about me. Some of them were stupid, all of them were all over the place. Now, I want to know ten things about you. So, don't be afraid to jump on down to the comments and share your list. It was pretty rewarding to get some of these out in the open so people would have a little better understanding of what makes me, me.

What makes you, you?