The Book of Me, Written by You ~ Prompt 3 ~ Describe Your Physical Self





I am participating in Julie Goucher's activity:

Describe yourself such as~
Your size – clothes size
Scars
Eye colour
Draw your hands
Finger Prints

This week’s prompt is going to be a tough one for me. I am not one to think of or about myself. I now feel this is one of the main reasons I received the final cut when I tried out for the “Great Swedish Adventure.” 

My final interview in Burbank went really well until the director left the room and I was with the assistant director and another lady. They asked me “what do you consider your worst asset? ” I think to myself...besides my obvious weight problem…what could it be? 


I stumbled and stammered and finally told them I don’t like to think about "me" and that I really didn't know. I am most certain now that was what did me in for being on the show. Of course, when I came home and told my husband he quickly spilled out answers! Let's see how I handle this prompt.

*****WARNING~LONG POST*****

My Size
 One of the reasons I hate having my picture taken,my weight. But if you know me, that is obvious. I am short, under 5ft. 4in., and feel my body has gotten "square." I have always wanted to be taller, so I wouldn’t look so fat. I have lost weight a couple of times in my life and actually got to thin. I am not sure what kept my motivation during those times, but I would love to have some of it now. It has always been a life long struggle for me.

Recently I had blood work done. I am very grateful I do not have diabetes because of my weight problem. I feel I have been given a second chance, and hope I can become successful in loosing weight!

Scars
Yes, I have a few. The first I ever received was when I was in kindergarten. I had to walk to school, which was right around the corner and up a slight hill from where we lived. One day I tripped on a lip of the cement, fell and put my front tooth through my lip.

When I was in the 6th grade, age 10, I ended up in the hospital for a very serious, unexpected, surgery. This left me with a hefty scar, which no one sees.

I have an acne related scar on my face, but worse, I had MRSA in 2008. I had it for a two years before the final antibiotics I tried finally killed it. I now have several scars on my face and elsewhere from my bout with MRSA. I have photos, but no one would want to see them, trust me.

I have had carpel tunnel surgery and major neck surgery, so I have scars from those as well.

My scars are the beauty marks of what I have experienced in this life.

Hair
My hair is naturally mousy brown in color, but I have been blonde most of my life. When I was young I spent a lot of time swimming and after being in the sun and chlorinated pool water all summer, my hair would get red highlights. By the time I was 19 or 20, I became a bleached blonde. Everyone thought I should have been born a blonde because it looked so good with my skin coloring. I think I should have been born a blonde also, it would certainly fit my heritage, being primarily Scandinavian. 


A couple years after I retired, I thought I would let my hair grow out and hope for some beautiful white hair so I wouldn't need to color it anymore. I hadn't seen my own hair color in almost 4 decades, I was ready to let it go. That was a BIG mistake! My hair is still mousy brown and ugly grey! I went right back to blonde hair. My husband has only known me as a blonde. He denies any pictures of me with brown hair.

My profession has helped me to love my hair, most of the time.

Eyes
It has been discussed already that my eyes are blue. They are a deeper blue, but I always wished I had eyes like my maternal grandfather. He had the most gorgeous blue eyes I think I have ever seen. They were light, bright and really stood out.

I used to think that one of my best assets was my eyes and eyelashes. I really enjoyed building up those lashes with mascara in my younger days. I never needed an eyelash curler, they curled up on their own. Today, they don’t turn up so nice anymore, and one side is worse than the other. 

My eyes are blue, my favorite color. Glasses continue to allow me to read and see everything I want and need to do, including all the wonderful beauty in our lives.


Teeth
If I could have half the money that has been spent on my teeth... I had many cavities and braces when I was young and grew up disliking dentists very much. I have had only 3 dentists that I was comfortable with. 

While in my 20’s I had an incident with a tooth. A cyst grew in between the roots of one of my molars and as it grew it pushed my tooth up and caused so much pain. They didn’t know what was going on. The dentist said he could send me to a specialist in San Francisco, or he could pull it. By that time I was so tired of the pain I told him to just pull it. When he did was when we saw what the problem was, and no more pain. 

I used to be so proud of my white teeth, the dentists used to tell me how white they were. Now, I can see the color difference in a crown compared to my other teeth, only the crown is now much whiter! I have all of my own teeth except the one which was pulled when I was in my 20's.

With all the money that has been spent on my teeth, I should have them still! Grateful! Grateful I can eat and chew with my own teeth!

Hands
I have short stubby fingers, just like my mother did. My baby fingers have always looked crooked or like they have been broken, another trait from my mother. I never felt that I would ever be a piano player with the short stubs I have, but I did once upon a time take some piano lessons. Music was not my forte however.


Here I have attempted drawings of my hands. I have added some wrinkles, age spots and veins as well as the rings that stay on my fingers 24/7. I certainly am not an artist and certainly didn't go for perfection here.

My hands have spent 30 years in chemicals, not having worn gloves. I had elephant skin, I didn’t need gloves! Bleach, peroxide, permanent solution, hair spray, sun, chlorine. They have all contributed to the dried out ol’ lady hands I have now. Add to that psoriasis (which I have on my legs, elbows and feet) and you can imagine the tough elephant hands I have! 

My hands are not as strong as they used to be.

These have given me the opportunity to craft and work at my career as well as touch and feel, everything.

Fingerprints
If you read what I just previously wrote, you will understand I probably don’t have fingerprints anymore! I am sure you have seen in movies where the bad guy tried to remove his fingerprints by soaking them in chemicals…

Although I said I probably don’t have any, I did a “looksie” and see that I actually do have some! Amazing actually...so, if I ever need to be fingerprinted by the cops, they will get some!

Legs
I have always called my legs "elephant thighs" and I felt my calves could have had more shape on the inside of the leg.

They keep me mobile. I can walk, hike, run, jump, skip, ride a bike, do yoga, etc. I appreciate my legs we so take for granted.


Feet
I used to think my second toes were deformed because they weren’t longer than my big toes. 

My grandchildren had fun coloring them one day in October 2011.

You probably noticed my large toenail on my right foot it rather small. I got a fungus from a nail salon while getting pedicures. I am hoping some day I can beat this thing, but I am not sure, it has been getting worse instead of better.

Where would my legs be without my feet? They are one of the smallest parts of my body and are one of the most used parts, thank you feet for all you do for me!

Skin
We are all born with the skin we have, mine is tough as elephant skin. I have freckles and age spots on my skin. It is  weathered, and aged from chemicals and the sun. However, I am comfortable in my skin. Not happy maybe, but comfortable. 

Even though my skin is very fair, blemished, and wrinkling, it has protected my body my whole life. I do not have any skin diseases except some excema, and I can deal with that!

Other
My ears are pierced three times on each side.The top two holes on each side have earrings in them 24/7 and the other two, get earrings every time I leave the house.  

I have one tattoo, it is on the backside of my shoulder. I got the tattoo as a "family bonding" thing 12 years ago. It was my daughter's idea, she paid for my husband's tattoo as a birthday present. All three of us got a tattoo at the same time.

Ooops...a finger got in the way when the photo was taken!

 With the flaws we each feel we have, we also have many great qualities. Overall things could be much worse. My body has taken care of me over the years and I am grateful. I have family and friends who love me, and I am grateful. 
I am older, and hopefully wiser.

I have elephant skin and elephant thighs,heck might as well add elephant weight too! Think I need to make sure I am not a real elephant...


Thanks for stopping by! 

Wishing you success in all of your genealogical treasure hunts! 




Copyright © 2013 Cheryl Palmer All Rights Reserved

Comments

  1. Thank you for the wonderful read!

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  2. You are too funny. We love you Cheryl, just as you are.

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  3. I love it! Especially this line, "My scars are the beauty marks of what I have experienced in this life." I feel the same way about my stretch marks. ;-) Well done!!

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  4. Thank you all for commenting on my blog, I appreciate it very much!

    ReplyDelete

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