What Are Five Things You're Not?

I overheard someone say they were asked this question in an interview and it made the writer inside me curious. Writing about yourself is easy, writing about the things you are not, isn't.

Here is a glimpse of who I am, based on the things I am not.


1. I am not musical.
I'm afraid I may not even know the difference between good music and bad music. Sometimes classical jazz does it for me, other days Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" on repeat is fine. I like the sound of my partner's music, of my friends' music, and music that I sing to in the car. I can't sing. Even though I can't sing, I once sang "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne in a talent show, so at least I've got some guts. I tried to play: guitar, trumpet, piano, without success. Although I cannot perform, you bet your ass I can dance.
2. I am not a badass.
For a moment in time, I liked to believe I was. I am not. I am soft, I am nice, and I will live in that comfortable space. Thunderstorms and loud noises give me anxiety. I love to swim, but I won't swim in cold water. Don't mistake badass for adventurous. I will try anything once. I love being in new spaces and meeting new faces, whether that be in a bar up the road or on a boat in the sea.
3. I am not a left brain.
I think with my right brain, feel with my right brain and write with it, too. I am organized and motivated, and I borrow those things from my left brain. I'm thankful both sides of my brain work well, but my right brain always seems to win. I think emotions and feel thoughts. I like thinking about colors and art and art and colors together. I need help making the tip at restaurants and calculating numbers that don't end in zeros.
4. I am not traditional.
I know there is not one way to do things. I know we are too scientifically advanced to believe in certain folklore. I believe in the radical notion that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, equality, if you will. I am openminded. I don't practice a strict religion, but my spirituality does not make me less than. I am not a traditional human being in all senses of the word, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
5. I am not overwhelmed.
In my late teenage years I used to feel overwhelmed. I used to feel like things would never slow down. Like I was on a spinning ferris wheel that would only continue to spin faster until it came off of its hinges. I live now with roots planted firmly. I have all the love a person could ever want to help me grow. I am grounded. I am proud of the things I am not. In fact, I celebrate them.