Secrets

For those not on the major time wasting activity and impersonal posting forum known as FaceBook, this is currently going around. You're suppose to post a list of 25 secrets, so for those who wouldn't see, I submit:

1. The best accomplishment, thus far, in my life was not my graduation from medical school.
2. In high school we talked about running away to Alaska, to create a life based on Northern Exposure. Secretly, I think we all hoped somebody would have had the balls to say we’d leave the next day and drive to Alaska. I still have a Northern Exposure Fantasy.
3. I wear bow-ties because it reminds me of one of the last conversations I had with my closest friend during internship, and the agreement we made before she died.
4. Every time I post something personal on my blog, I have to pretend nobody will ever read it, I don’t like to share. (Ironic, I know).
5. I gave away my 3 favorite shirts (2 in Zimbabwe, 1 in Nepal) and now it feels ridiculous to have ever been attached to a shirt.
6. My brothers and dad have married amazing women. How we ever went from dysfunctional bachelors to a real family is something Oprah and Dr Phil couldn’t figure out in an hour on their talk shows.
7. [ ] This one is going to the grave.
8. I am definitely not who I thought I would become, and it makes it easier to not have any clue about who I will be in 10 years, in 20 years etc.
9. Watching my friends and brothers become parents has been such a joy.
10. Up until recently, I supported the death penalty. (Shhh on that one).
11. I waste entirely too much time thinking about what to do after I finish residency.
12. In college, I drank Irish Crème coffee. As a coffee purist, I’m embarrassed to admit this. But if I had a cup now, I would have such incredible flashbacks…
13. I have a very close group of friends, some of whom have been friends for almost 20 years (jesus, is that right??), some of whom I’ve known less than a year, and it’s crazy that they now span 6 continents. They inspire me to be a better person. Thanks.
14. But, being without contact from the world while in Nepal was incredibly liberating; some days I think back to being on the trek in Nepal and think about smashing my computer and mobile phone and going back to the simplicity of life.
15. I secretly hate face book. I wish that people sent emails again and made phone calls.
16. I love watching the sunset.
17. I get really annoyed when people ask me which I like taking care of better, kids or adults. I don’t choose, I enjoy taking care of both.
18. If I could be re-incarnated as a type of fish that can only survive by swimming in coffee or whiskey, I would do it.
19. About 2 years ago I had a dream of opening my own coffee roasting company. I still think of it often, and still have the slogans and labels that I made (along with a small coffee roaster and green beans). Hanging out at my favorite coffee roasters here in Jo’burg makes think that at some point coffee roaster will be my next profession.
20. My first crush on a boy was in second grade. Actually my first few crushes were in second grade. I don’t think second graders can choose their sexuality. (see #4 above).
21. I have boxes of books in the basement of my brother’s house in Littleton. I never intend to unpack them, or give them away. I suspect he knows. I may ship books to him from SA. It’s my book grave. He doesn’t know that.
22. I plan on trying heroin, but am waiting until I am on my death bed so I don’t become addicted, well or so I don’t become addicted for long.
23. I keep enough foreign currency from everywhere I travel to afford cab fare to a hotel, and enough to get a bite to eat.
24. I tend to keep most emails that I received. I never knew why. But over the past few months I’ve gone back and reread hundreds (no seriously, many, many hundreds) of emails, and it’s been wonderful.
25. I will be up most the night to get stuff done so that I can go away this weekend and next. I’m reminded how fucking lucky I am to be doing what I am doing. And if I had some, I'd brew Irish Creme just for the sake of it.