Ignorant Historian

1.  If you were on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, whose names would you submit as your three lifelines, and what subjects would each person be your go-to person for?

Let’s see…I’d definitely put my dad on the list for all things mathematical/scientific.  I’d also choose my college roommate, Dana, as she’s familiar with a ton of movies (and a ton of other things…she’s well-read as well) that I’m not.  I’d also want to pick someone who’s good with pop culture, but I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head that would be a good fit.

2.  What food grosses you out just by its texture?

Grits.  Definitely don’t get them.

3.  How long would it take you, via the quickest means available, to get to the place of your birth from where you are right now?

If someone chartered me a flight and had it waiting for me at the airport right now, I think I could be there in 3 hours.  I think it’d take just over 2 hours to fly direct to Wichita (not that I’ll ever know that!).  Driving it takes 20 hours.

4.  From what store is it impossible for you to emerge empty-handed?

Target, for sure.  There is always something that I “need.”

5. What do you usually use to mark your place in a book?

A piece of paper from a notepad.  It doubles as a place for me to record quotes.

1.  Where do you like to sit on a plane?

First class!  Okay, they’ve only offered that to me once, when they cancelled my flight.  I was 17.  Yeah, they definitely don’t do that anymore, unless you’re a dignitary or something.

Seriously though, I like to sit as far front as possible (last on, first off).  I prefer seat “A”, the window on the left (when you are sitting down).  I’ve done a lot of experimenting, and I’ve determined that that’s the best seat for me to feel like I have room as my left side is not against some stranger (I’m left-handed).

I also have a trick of changing seats at the last minute.  I frequently fly without someone beside me by doing this!  I have the best of luck…if there is one empty seat on the plane, there’s about a 50% chance it’ll be next to me.

And no, I don’t think it’s because I smell.  Thanks for asking.

2.  What sound irritates you?

Tapping and buzzing noises.  I don’t like the sound of fans in bathrooms.  Any buzzing sound will set me on edge and I will be unable to concentrate on anything else.  And no, I haven’t always been like this (thankfully!), but it would be distracting while trying to concentrate in class the last few years I was in school.

3.  What’s something in your life that just isn’t colorful enough?

My car. Unfortunately, all my options really ran the spectrums of grey, so I went for more of a graphite.  I like my car, but it lacks the zest of my last car that was electric blue.  I’d also love to drive a purple car one day.

4.  What’s a film you were sure you would dislike but ended up liking?

Get Smart.   Saw it with the family when we were on vacation, and I thought it’d be super stupid.  Turned out to be quite funny.

5.  What kind of grades did you get in school?

All A’s until AP Calculus. (Wow, I realize how pretentious that sentence sounds.)  And then in college and seminary I had a good mix of As and Bs (and that one C in a freshman-level class in my major in my last semester), trying to get no more than 1 B a semester.

1.  Would you ever consider working for the government?

Sure.  I mean, I do want to be a teacher in a public school.  But I also wouldn’t mind working in a bureaucratic position, though I’m sure some things would drive me batty.

2.  You are on a flight from Honolulu to Chicago non-stop. There is a fire in the back of the plane. You get enough time to make ONE phone call. Who would you call?

At least I got to see Hawaii before I die, right?  Without question, I’d call my parents.  And not only because their number is one of the few that I actually have memorized, but also because they’re the obvious choice.  So please pick up, okay?

3.  If you had to wear one color every day for the rest of your life, which would you choose and why?

Blue, because I look good in it and enjoy all the shades.  If I had to pick a particular shade, I’d say periwinkle because it’s what I look best in and it’s my favorite.

4.  What is your dream for America’s future?

I dream that we’ll recognize that we’ve allowed our federal government to grow unconstitutionally large, and have it start pulling out of things such as education.  I dream that we’ll elect representives that recognize that like our own personal budgets, we have to cut spending in order to pay down debt.  But I’m afraid this is all a dream.

5.  What’s your favorite song of the moment?

I know this will be strange unless you’re familiar with my music tastes, but I’d have to say Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie.”  I can’t relate to it (I promise I’m not nor have ever been in a violent co-dependent relationship), but for some reason it resonates.  Looking back at my favorite songs from the past, it’s clear I like the darker, from-the-soul type of songs.  Plus I’ve always been a fan of Eminem (or at least the cleaned-up versions of his songs).  Hope I don’t lose any favor in your eyes!

I’m less than 30 comments away from 10,000 comments. I can’t thank you all enough.

I’m less than 10 posts away from my 1,000th post. There WILL be something big and never-been-done-before here on the Ignorant Historian on that day. Stop by Tuesday or Wednesday next week (which day depends on whether I post quotes this coming Sunday or not)…I promise that you do NOT want to miss it.

This fall, I’ll be helping to lead a book discussion over on Offering Hospitality. The book? Women’s Ministry in the Local Church by J. Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt. I’m looking forward to this opportunity. Want to join the discussion of the book? That’s easy enough…enter to win it!  The contest will be open until Sunday, August 15th.

Now that school is starting (I’m not a teacher or student, but I still think in school years), I hope to bring some more thought-provoking posts here to the Ignorant Historian.  They’re rolling around in my head, I just have to let them out!

On that note, what’s your favorite school supply to shop for?

Photo by Caro Wallis

1. What’s your favorite science fiction movie? Make it a double feature. What’s your second favorite?

Favorite is probably the new Star Trek. I actually didn’t see it in the theaters (wish I had!), but I really enjoyed it. When picking a second, it’s really hard not to pick Inception since I just saw it and loved it. Instead, I’m going to have to go with a Star Wars…maybe Episode III? Sorry to purists out there, but I prefer the ones actually made when I was alive.

2. Which ethnic group has the best food?

LOVE Mexican food (both real Mexican food and Tex-Mex, though I must admit I prefer Tex-Mex). I could literally eat it every day. Chinese is a close second, but I’m pickier in which kinds of Chinese food I like.

3. What is your favorite Disney princess?

Toughie. Aurora, probably. I’d love her life in a rural cottage with plenty of time to think (and presumably to read).  Or maybe Cinderella.

4. What is America’s gift to the world?

Wow…hmmm. Though we are merely the bearers of this gift and not the originators, I think I’d have to say the Gospel. While it’s also been distorted here–often beyond recognition–America has also been the place God has chosen to incubate the Gospel, and many Americans have been major instruments God has used to spread it. The downside is that Christianity and America are often linked in a way that is highly unflattering to God. May God help us to de-Americanize the Gospel and continue to selflessly share this wonderful gift.

5. Excluding romantic love, when was the last time you told someone you loved them?

This past weekend to sweet little “Abby,” my friend’s 5-year-old girl. I treat her like a niece. She started calling me “Erica” to be silly, so I started calling her “Abby.” Then she started calling me “best friend” and then “sister.” She knows how to wiggle her way into your heart, that’s for sure!

1.  What’s your favorite holiday?

Christmas.  Followed closely by Easter and Valentine’s Day (yes, single girls can love Valentine’s Day).

2.  Least favorite?

Halloween, by far.  I’m also rather ambivalent towards the summer holidays.  And Groundhog’s Day…could care less. ;)

3. What’s your favorite not-for-profit?

Excluding the obviously fab one that I work for and my church, I’d say our local food bank.

4. What’s the happiest political moment of your life?

Perhaps when Mike Huckabee was doing well in many of the primaries and caucuses in 2008.

5.  What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?

I’d become a full-time blogger.  I’d love for my job to be to learn about and comment on cultural, political, and spiritual issues.  But since I’ll never allow advertising on my site, the only way this would happen is if a company paid me to blog for them.  And even then it’d have to be the just-right opportunity.

1. Are you “proud to be an American”?

I’m not very patriotic, but I am happy to be American-born. I don’t think that America is irredeemable, and I’ll continue to pray and work for positive change. I think that we have a good thing going for us and shouldn’t forget where we’ve come from.

2. What is the best fireworks display you’ve ever seen?

I don’t know about best, but I can tell you worst. I was in DC in 2000, and had what we thought would be a good view. Unfortunately, there was no breeze, so after the first few fireworks, all we could see was lit-up smoke. That was a first for this Kansas girl (usually the concern there is that it might be TOO windy for fireworks).

3. What is your biggest patriotic moment?

Voting in my first presidential election (2004…I was a month too young for the infamous 2000 election). My parents had just moved so I didn’t have enough time to request an absentee ballot (I was going to school in Oklahoma), so I drove up just to vote. I missed a quiz that morning, but my professor gave me a 100 because she felt like that was an excellent reason to miss.

4. What is your favorite patriotic song?

I’ve always enjoyed Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” but perhaps not all the sentiments behind it.

5. What is your favorite D.C. monument?

The Vietnam Memorial. I think that the symbolism is the easiest to get and therefore the most meaningful.

1. Why is this Five Question Friday “late?”

This week has gotten away from me. I’m glad that it’s Friday, but just a little surprised.

2.  What bands/artists do your parents listen to that you hate? Like?

I think my mom does/has listened to Barry Manilow (sorry if I’m slandering your name, Mom!) which I can’t stand. I can’t think of any of my Dad’s favorites that I don’t like (though all of the 70s/80s stuff is a bit cheesy…side note, that’s one reason why I like Glee so much: they take cheesy yet good old songs and make them cheeseless…well, relatively). My Dad likes Journey and Queen and I really do, too. My Mom likes the Beach Boys, which are definitely a guilty pleasure of mine.

3.  If you could only see black and white except for one color, what color would you choose to see?

Blue. There are so many different shades, and all pretty.

4.  Can you do any voices or impressions and if yes, what ones?

I really hate when people do voices/impressions. So no, I’ve never tried.

5.  Does true altruism exist?

If true altruism exists, it is in what God does and has done for us. I don’t think that anything a sinful human being can be completely altruistic, as everything is tainted by our sinful desires and motives.

1.  Should juveniles be tried as adults if they commit murder?

This is SUCH a hard question. I think in almost all cases, youths know that murder is very wrong. But do they always recognize the consequences of their actions (I’m not talking about the punishment, but the finality of death and the impact that has on others)? No. I suppose it would depend on the situation. I don’t like the idea of minors serving time in adult prisons, nor do I think that they should merely be released when they are 18 or 21.

2.  Would you rather teach a young child to read or have to learn again for yourself?

I would NOT like to learn how to read again, since it’s harder for adults. Plus, that would mean I couldn’t read while I was re-learning. I would like to teach a child to read…I LOVE to teach and want to share the world of books to children.

3.  Name 1 thing you love about being an adult:

Driving (and the freedom associated with it).

4.  If you had been named according to your personality what would your name be?

Lola Vavoom (JUST KIDDING…that’s a minor character’s name in Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series).   I’ve always thought that Rebecca would have fit me (a name my parents had considered). When I was little I always thought Naomi Ruth Russell would be an awesome nom de plume (no, I wouldn’t have used the French back then, but I like to now!), but I definitely don’t think so now.  I also relate a lot to Hannah in the Bible, so that’s another option. Though really, Ronnica sums me up quite well.

5.  What texture irritates you?

Velvet.

1.  What do you value most in other people?

Being real. Not fake and not who they think I want them to be, but who they actually are, honestly. I hope I offer the same.

2.  What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie?

Growing up, it was Carmel DeLites (Samoas with milk chocolate instead of dark…different names because they’re made by different companies). Now it’s Peanut Butter Patties. Didn’t get any this year, because nobody asked me! I think I need to look into being one of the mystery customers that girls get extra incentives to find. I always hoped I’d find one when I was a girl (sold them for 11 years!).

3.  If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the body or the mind of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

Definitely the mind. Losing my mental faculties is actually my biggest fear with aging, not wrinkles or bum joints. Though my mind is definitely already going downhill (along with my body), so can I go backwards and have the mind of a 22yo forever?

4.  Have you ever danced on a table, bar, or other platform?

I’ve danced on a stage, which is technically a platform. I’m not sure that’s what the question is asking, but I don’t lead a scandalous life.

5.  Are you wearing socks right now?

Nope. I rarely do in the summer. Which makes the 30 pairs of socks in my drawer a bit out of place. (I didn’t count…if very well could be more, but I don’t want to know)