10 Things About Me You Probably Didn’t Know (and probably were doing just fine not knowing)
in response to Indira Reddy’s response and Aura Wilming’s response
So, after a couple of invites and the merciless clearing of my extensively busy (and completely fictitious) social calendar, I’ve decided to participate in this “10 Things” activity.
I did consider, and then reject, making this totally random and silly (for those familiar with my writing — I know — big surprise). But, instead I’ve decided to “pull back the curtain” and “lift the veil” and “take a bath already” and reveal 10 things that you may not know about me.
Apologies in advance if this scares or scars you.
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1. My parents moved from New York City to a farm on a small island in British Columbia, Canada in 1970
Now, I know what you are thinking.
Americans crossing the border in the late 60s/early 70s must be anti-war, tree-hugging hippies, and, no matter how many times I’ve tried to trick them into admitting as much, they claim they weren’t. And, yes, I did find photo album after photo album full of pictures of my parents clearly fleeing, a bit confusing.
But, yes, they left the Big Apple, in a beat-up VW van (how cliched, mom and dad!) with two other hairy couples and they bought a 60+ acre property perfect for communal living complete with a meadow, apple orchard and extensive network of bee hives so that years later, a young boy named Tommy, with a bee sting allergy, could frolic among them.
We stayed there until I was three and then moved to Vancouver.
2. I’m deathly afraid of lots of stuff
For those of you in a state of mock disbelief, the check is in the mail.
But, yes, I’m really afraid of heights, needles and large animals with sharp teeth trying to remove my precious skin from my equally precious bones (and, especially afraid of those rare situations when those three fears occur at the same time).
Not sure where the fear of heights comes from — thanks for all of that expensive exposure therapy, grandma! But, I have a hard time climbing ladders, taking gondolas and descending escalators leaving me “trapped” on second floors of malls (good thing I have a particular fondness for the second floors in life).
Needles still give me the willies something fierce. Just a month ago, at the ripe age of 47, I had to have some routine blood work done and I was so stressed even though I knew it will be okay. It’s fun being a great role model for your kids: “Why is daddy crying, we aren’t even at the doctor’s office yet?”
As far as the big animals with sharp teeth thing? Well, I was bit by no fewer than two huge dogs growing up.
What can I say? I have delicious skin.
3. I was a child actor and model
Curly red hair, freckles and a smile that lit up the room? I was a triple threat! When I was old enough to no longer pee my pants and march, my parents marched me down to the nearest talent agent, dropped me off saying only “you’re welcome” before running away and putting a down payment on a Penthouse.
And I got work.
I was in commercials, TV shows and catalogues. I acted in plays, missed school for auditions and took theatre courses. Unfortunately, at the age of 13, I had to face the facts that at some point, your looks can only get you so far. I’d never wept so hard before or since as I was banking solely on my looks.
Turns out you need to have something called “talent”.
Damnit.
4. I’m a pescatarian (and an avid home cook who cooked in restaurants for 9 years)
When I was young, I ate chicken.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one.
And then, at some point, I stopped (I think it was to impress a girl, who, oddly, was not that impressed with a pimply boy, she barely knew existed, ceasing eating poultry).
I proclaimed myself a vegetarian far before it became a popular or fad diet, which made me a huge hit at birthday parties (“just a plain hotdog bun, then?”), bbqs (“we have lots of green salad”) and when going out to restaurants (“you okay with grilled cheese, again?)
Yet, for all of the challenges, I loved being different and wore my vegetarianism like a badge of pride. Seriously — I actually purchased a badge.
Except, I was unknowingly living a lie because unlike the other more militant vegetarians, I ate fish. Lots of it. Often with a maniacal look on my face and drool dripping from the corner of my mouth (I have an appointment with a specialist in November).
And then one day, it hit me, when my sanctimonious coworker said “um, Tommy, actually you are a pescatarian” with an unimpressed look that seemed to tack on an “asshole” at the end of the sentence.
5. I’ve played recreational and competitive Ultimate for 30 years
In case you don’t know, Ultimate (or Ultimate Frisbee) is a competitive team sport played on a large, rectangular field with two teams of 7 pitted against each other.
I was introduced to the game at the end of my final year in high school and was immediately addicted. Over the years, I’ve travelled to many countries to play and have been fortunate to play in multiple world club championships and a dozen national championships.
It’s provided me so much joy and fulfillment and opportunities. I’ve met many of my best friends playing this game that I love including meeting my future wife at a tournament is a story full of enough coincidences to make one believe in fate. I’ve mentored and coached adults and juniors and had the fortune to stay relatively healthy and live in the city with the largest recreational league in the world.
While my body and drive aren’t what they once were, I still train and work hard and maintain a solid level of performance. My goal is to eventually play on a team with my two daughters (currently aged 12 and 10), which means I have to keep it up for at least another 6 years.
But, knock on wood, I don’t want to even think of a future where I’m not playing.
6. I have been an educator for the past 22 years
Since I was young I wanted to be a teacher — actually, I can’t remember a time I even considered another profession (aside from when I started announcing basketball games for my university team and had irrational thoughts of being Brent Musburger).
And I did. First studying to be a grade 5 teacher (the kids on my practicum called me “Mr. Frisbee”!), then abruptly switching and becoming a high school teacher. In my career I’ve taught math, drama, english, science and art classes (no experience or artistic talent, but, in the words of the principal “your father is an artist, yes?”). And I’ve taught in Australia on exchange.
After 11 years in the classroom I knew two things (ha ha ha smart guy, clearly I know more than two things, I mean two things on this particular topic): I needed a change and I still wanted to work with students. This meant either become a vice principal — which I was not interested in — or switch roles within a school.
Then, long story short, a few big life events happened and I “discovered” counselling. I snapped into action and got a masters in counselling psychology and have been a school counsellor working with high school students for the past 11+ years and I love it.
7. I’m a man of many nicknames
Not sure why — maybe it’s my curly red hair and freckles, my relatively relaxed attitude or being an easy target (or all the above!), but I have had so many nicknames in my life (some more self-explanatory than others) including the following
- Tommy Tomato
- Lil Orphan Annie
- Toilet Paper
- Jiffy Pop
- Lamb Chop
- Master P
- GITU
- T Piddy
- T Pizzle
- El Beardo
- T Pain
- Pales
8. I love puzzles!
I love them all — huge jigsaw (I own approximately ten 2000 pieces puzzles and always have one on the go), crosswords, Sudoku, KenKen, Acrostics — you name it, I love puzzles.
My favourite puzzle of the year, is constructing the school schedule or master timetable — making the schedule for all of the classes at our large school so students get most of their course requests and teachers get most of their requested classes. It’s a massive project that makes me consider so many different pieces from making sure there aren’t too many science lab courses in one block to figuring out how to make as many elective options available for our mini school kids to balancing requests from department heads with what is best for students.
It involves countless hours and trials and attempts. It’s exhausting, but I love it.
Come spring, many teachers commiserate with me over the seemingly monumental task in front of me and I smile, because I am in my happy place despite disappearing into the small, windowless timetable room for days at a time (explaining why I publish much less in late May/early June each year.)
9. I once took a 20 year hiatus from creative writing
I did tons of creative writing on my old IBM computer in the late 80s/early 90s and then, for some reason, I stopped. Maybe I was busy with my education degree or work or responding to thinly veiled threats, but, one day I was writing and, the next, I wasn’t.
And that continued for many many years.
Now, it’s not as if I was doing zero writing — I helped students write short scripts in drama class, I wrote postcards and emails and letters when travelling and I was always being creative in some sense.
Then, in the fall of 2013, I started writing funny, short messages to my grade 12 students helping advertise for our winter formal and I got a lot of positive feedback. I remember going home one day and saying to my wife “I wish there was a way or a place to write more” and she said “why not start a blog online?” and I said “but don’t you have to actually be a writer or good to do that?”
(turns out, you don’t)
So, I started and…I loved it.
Instead of all of these random, silly, inane, funny, introspective, vengeful and odd ideas solely presiding in my head, now there is a mostly-legitimate way of getting out there.
One thing led to another (or so I’m told as I’ve only been semi-conscious the whole time) and I’ve now been writing 2–8 hours a week (while still maintaining a socially-acceptable minimum amount of personal grooming) for the past 5 years and, when asked (or even when not), proudly refer to myself a writer.
10. I’m very allergic to pet hair and dander
Okay, so don’t laugh (despite it arguably being the best medicine.)
Since I was a baby, I’ve always lived with cats…and other humans! Despite how it looks, my parents didn’t leave me as a young boy with a family of cats and go on a trip around the world despite constantly threatening/promising to.
And as an adult with my own apartment, one of the first things I did was get two kittens of my own with whom I lived with for a long time.
Then, in my late 30s, I went for some allergy testing and it turns out that…I am allergic to my furry friends!
I was so confused — how could I be allergic if I’ve lived among cats in close proximity (extra emphasis on close) for so many years with no obvious issues.
And then it hit me. I started to put 2 and 2 together (give me a moment, I’m slow sometimes).
Maybe, and just maybe, all of those monstrous and silence-shattering sneeze attacks that I get multiple times a day are because of those cats. And the fact I’m always rubbing my itchy eyes when I sleep with those cats next to me. And the fact that get bumps all over my hands and arms right after petting them.
Hmmm…
After trying to co-exist (they kept ignoring the very clear and distinct line I drew in the living room) and taking precautions (turns out literally wearing a hazmat suit at home creates an “odd” environment for your toddlers), we gave in.
One of us must go.
The family took a vote and, thankfully (3 votes to 2), I was given a chance to stay on the condition that ice cream be plentiful and I cease singing to pop songs on the radio in the morning.
It was sad to find those fur balls new homes, but it was necessary.
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Thanks for thinking of me Aura and Indira! I had lots of fun writing this!
It seems that nearly everyone has been tagged already, but let me see if I can spread the joy a bit more. Sorry if you have already been tagged — Jake, Dan Belmont, Page Barnes, Matt Querzoli, Ryan Hussey
