When you’re geeky, you don’t always think like the people around you or answer questions in the usual way. A writing class I took asked us newbie writers to tell the class a little bit about ourselves. Here’s how I answered that:
I am a multi-cellular, hairless, short-snouted, large-brained bipedal omnivore, evolved over millions of years within the classification of Primates, in response to dramatic environment changes on the planet Earth to become Homo sapiens sapiens.
I occupy the geologic address
34E43.29 N and 117E10.82 W
…the political address
xxxx xxxx Dr., Laguna Hills CA.
…the email address
askatechteacher@gmail.com
…and the internet address (my IP location)
xx.x.xx.xx
I am one of over 8 billion big brained creatures living on Earth, each with unique talents and traits allowing us to best fit our local environment. I am a social animal, living in a large community–too large to know my neighbors by the methods other Primates use of ‘grooming’. Instead, we ‘gossip’ and ‘storytell’. I am surrounded by peers who feel superior to other mammals based on subjective factors such as physical characteristics or brain size. This primitive attitude has allowed my kind to take over the world but not run it well. Without significant changes, we will not remain the dominant species for even as long as dinosaurs, sharks, jelly fish, alligators, Great Apes, or horsetail ferns.
I am no better or worse than any other life form surrounding me, only different.
- my outward appearance
- my mental skills
- my religion
- my sex
- my opinions
- my social life
- my social media
- my income
- my employment
- my politics
I am not more or less worthy of God’s goodness or Earth’s beneficence than any other form of life.
When I grow up, I’d like to attain:
the non-judgmentalism of my Labrador Retriever
the enthusiasm of my six-year-old nephew
the wisdom of my grandmother
the peacefulness of the Great Apes
the adaptability of viruses
the awe-inspiring beauty of the Rocky mountains
On a personal level, I enjoy music, reading, intellectual pursuits, teaching,. my children, my dogs, and nature.
Any questions?
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the Man vs. Nature saga. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, blog webmaster, an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Against All Odds, Fall 2020. You can find her tech ed books at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning
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😀 Greetings, humanoid. My synapses responded favorably to your anthropological descriptions due to similarities in physiological makeup.
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A kindred spirit! So very cool!
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Finely explained. Just want to let it pass through a sieve of wisdom.
It says that all that is borrowed or earned or acquired or conditioned by society/religion or learned is not you. You are that who has penetrated into the womb of your mother to give life to those bundles of cells. Baul saints of West Bengal call it ‘Adhaar Manish’ or Original face in English.
The day you get this answer from your self, on its own it ‘happens’. Just what you can do is meditation- said Buddha.
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Amen.
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I loved the article, Jacqui 😀 Especially the part what I am not. I can definitely related to what you wrote.
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I really believe that but so often, I’m judged by stuff I don’t think is important. Sigh. Where’s a mountain top when I need one!
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I hear you! I’m still clambering along the incline!!!
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Jacqui, this was absolutely brilliant!
I keep on wondering where we got the idea that we’ll better than any other living thing on this plant.
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I don’t feel that way. That ‘elitist’ mentality is so not me!
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I was expecting this to be one thing, and it was another entirely. It was poetic. I love it when that happens.
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Thanks! My brain has a mind of its own at times.
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LOL. You must be a writer of prehistoric fiction and a woman of the modern world. I love this – scientific, egalitarian, visionary, and full of humor. 🙂
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I try. Thanks Diana!
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Love it! Esp the first and last parts.
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Hehee. Everything goes better with humor, doesn’t it?
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Definitely.
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I love this! Are we the sum of our parts or a whole other entity? You made me laugh.
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The million dollar question!
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Wonderful! The “when I grow up” is a perfect closure… 🙂
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Well, I guess that’ll never happen!
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We’re all “works in progress”–and anything is possible! 🙂
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I loved the answers on what you’re not- if only we could all follow your lead ❤
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To be honest, they are more of a checklist than a checked-off list.
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What a great take on identity, Jacqui! You added levels and nuances, I hadn’t thought about. Love your list of what we could be if we adopted different characteristics. Great values to which to aspire!
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I don’t like talking about myself so this fit me perfectly, back when I had to write it.
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This is clever, Jacqui. I agree with your survival comments.
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Life has wonderful characteristics but they’re mixed throughout the animal kingdom. Still, I can admire them.
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Did you leave any scope for questions? Superb Jacqui!
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I did avoid emotion because that is so darn fungible to me!
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Brilliant answer, Jacqui:)
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I think the teacher wished she hadn’t asked!
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“Any questions?” No, I think that covers it all … thanks!
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Hehee. You don’t want to know my emotions or pronouns? Hmm…
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I’ll just make that stuff up … 😉
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Impressive bio 🙂
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Thanks, Ankur.
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Very cool post. Love your answers.
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Thanks, Juneta. I think this explains a lot about why I chose to write deep prehistoric fiction.
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Love this, Jacqui, though I hope you aren’t completely hairless! 😁
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Hehee. I guess compared to the great apes and my dog–they think I am!
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That was fabulous!!!
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A little peak at how weird I truly am!
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LOL!
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Awesome. I particularly like the non-judgementalism of your Labrador Retriever.
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Dogs are like that, aren’t they? I try but he’s much better at it than I
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Love it! All hail the horsetail fern!
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Hehee. I couldn’t belief that guy was as resilient–evolution-wise–as he is. Amazing.
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Excellent! You’ve given the subject much thought, which many people haven’t but should.
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Ha! It actually is so close to me that it was a quick write. Not that my teacher-at-that-time appreciated my wisdom!
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Whoa! Let’s have a drink on THAT one!! lol
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You too? It must have something to do with those who love military history
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Absolutely incredible introduction, I am both laughing and impressed by your approach.
Did you get any questions?? 😊.
Great speech, Jaqui.
Miriam
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Well, I don’t recall my teacher being impressed. More like I colored outside the lines and that wasn’t so good. But that’s me.
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I love your response! Brilliant. 🙂
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Thanks, Harmony. I think back when I was in the classroom, I probably hung my head. I used to want to ‘fit in’. Now, I don’t care.
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Love this!
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Thanks, Cath! Just thinking outside the box.
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Wow! That’s brilliant, Jacqui – such an imaginative and creative response. Why would I have expected less? Top marks to you.
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I think I stunned my professor into silence. I’d say without doubt he’d never read anything like it in answer to the simple question, “Who are you?”
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I’m not surprised. I was a bit stunned myself. 🙂
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Hi Jacqui – that’s just brilliant … just loved reading it … so true for us all … you are so clever … and if only …. take care and enjoy the week ahead – cheers Hilary
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It was pretty easy to write because I believe it! Odd that.
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Excellent! I enjoyed this, Jacqui.
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Thanks, Jill. I appreciate the feedback!
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I love it!! Well done.
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This is probably how I ended up a tech teacher!
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And a clever writer!!
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That was fun.
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A peek inside my brain!
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Never a dull moment.
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