Notes from the Trail

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I have no idea why David’s blog entry hit me the way it did several weeks ago. In it, he listed a series of character flaws that he had observed about himself. Such raw honesty and authenticity has continued to haunt me. I’ve had this nagging sense of need for self-disclosure. I have no idea why.

But here goes…

Things that are wrong with Jeff… by Jeff

• Overly critical
• Frequently forgetful

I can’t believe Texas got beat by LSU, can you? That’s just crazy! … Oh wait. Sorry… Where was I?

• Passion projector -I simply mean that many times I want people to feel as passionately as I do about things, about Christ, etc. and I tend to “project” that expectation of passionate living onto them. When they don’t live passionately, the first quality on the list begins to emerge.
• Gadget addict - this drastically affects my spending habits…
• Compulsive
• Detail hater - I am actually a great administrator and planner when I stop everything else I’m doing and focus. But that is rare. Usually, I have 13 brain projects going on at a time, leading to…
• Scatter-brained
• Hyper-focused - I have no idea how I can be both this and scatter-brained. All I know is that when I get going on something, whether a project or overall vision, I’m like a pitbull. It’s hard for me to see or pay attention to anything else. The crazy thing is that any interruption can pretty much sideline me from productivity if I’m not careful. (That’s one reason I don’t answer my cell phone a lot. See here.)
• Naive
• Anti-institutional to a fault - borrowed this and the next two from DB
• Awfully self-critical
• No off-switch for my brain
• Occasional delusions of grandeur
• Ambivalent planner - I think a lot of this comes from my deep belief that God has His own agenda and as a disciple of Christ, I am to discover and contribute to God’s agenda and His kingdom rather than my own. However, it often feels like I’m “flying by the seat of my pants.” 2 Corinthians 5.7 says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” So much of my life is profoundly directed by faith that many times, I have no idea what I really want. Does that make sense?
• Awkwardly ambitious - I do want my life to count. But I struggle, obviously, with how to do that in the most Christ-honoring way. It’s the whole “first shall be last, last shall be first” conflict.
• Emotionally needy - Dangit. I thrive on encouragement. Who knew?
• Priority confuser

OK… enough’s enough. I think I could go on, but you get the picture. After posting my personality tests and all, I guess I have to be open now to your comments about my weaknesses. Feel free to add to the list; just be sweet about it.

And if for some strange reason, you find this exercise hauntingly compelling, I encourage you to do your own self-examination.

Oh, and Dave… try to post something next time that will lead me to self-exaltation, OK?

I haven’t even watched the show yet, but after taking the coolest online personality test at personaldna.com, I discovered that I am a “Free Wheeling Inventor.” Perhaps my Strawberry-Vanilla Wheat Square Extraordinaires will make it big?

See the results of my personality test here.

For those of you who know me, let me know how close it came to nailing me…

And thanks to RJ Martino for clueing me into personalDNA.

UPDATED… (3/28/06)
Here is another personality test I took a while back. It’s been posted on my “About” Page…

INTP - “Architect”. Greatest precision in thought and language. Can readily discern contradictions and inconsistencies. The world exists primarily to be understood. 3.3% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

I think it was DB who I discovered this personality test from…

Sublime happiness and joy awaits every one of you. It can be had… even tonight… for only about $6.37. If you have a Wal-Mart Supercenter within a 20 mile radius, I beseech you, no I compel and urge thee to get thy buttocks down to there and purchase for thine self a sack of Malt-O-Meal’s Vanilla Cream Mini Spooners and a box of Kellogg’s Frosted Miniwheats Strawberry Delight. It’s pure eating ecstasy.

Here’s what happened to me to create this universal discovery… I had been systematically devouring the Kellogg’s strawberry miniwheats for the past week or so. We returned from our spring break trip this afternoon, having spent the last few days with the Pigotts and Chases at the Little Red River. So dinner tonight was every man/child for themself. I opted for my old standby… cereal. I love it.

Imagine my disappointment when the Strawberry Delight only filled half a bowl before emitting the shreddings typical of battered wheat squares. I open the pantry, and what to my wandering eyes should appear but sack of niller minispooners, so dear!? I topped off the bowl, with a growing sense of anticipation and intuitive expectancy that whispered at my consciousness… “you’re on to something, by jove!”
I stirred them up, and took a few bites. Voila! Eureka! Simply taste-tastic. Somebody kill and mount Toucan Sam… there’s a new heavyweight in town! Strawberry-Vanilla Wheat Square Extraodinaire. Please, please, Mr. Kellogg… you MUST produce this! (If you don’t Mrs. Malt-O-Meal will and corner the cereal market for years!)

I’m a happy man this evening as I tongue wheaty remnants from my molar recesses. Every last shred I find whispers “gastro-genius” in my mouth. This reminds me of my Juanita’s, Hot Tea, and Thee article a while back. It’s been that long since I’ve called a tastebud truce.

(By the way… Suzanne… if you read this before tomorrow, you can see that your PraiseBaby stuff is in for the kids.)

I’ll close this post with one thought… what could be better than cold milk, Wheat Square Extraordinaire, and regularity all packed into one evening?

It had to happen sooner or later. I mean, you don’t just create a massive empire in space without being able to go where you want, when you want. Our little town just wasn’t prepared for his presence on a Saturday afternoon a week or so ago.

Shown here is Lord Darth Vader, strolling down the sidewalk in the North Park Shopping Mall with my mom. He was actually a pretty decent guy. Apart from sabering a rude motorist in half when they stole the spot he was planning on parking his Tie-Fighter, it was almost like having a friend from college over….

OK, so maybe that’s actually my daughter in costume… But weren’t you enjoying the other story better?

The point…

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OK, yes, I’m a graphic designer. But no, this isn’t my kid. But yes, I laughed hysterically when I got this email. No, I don’t know who it is…

Update:
4/27/06 - Many thanks to the link from Phyliss at the ZAA Message Board!