Category: Personal

Answers to Friday 5 for December 3: The work of the child – http://f.riday5.com/2021/12/03/friday-5-for-december-3-the-work-of-the-child/

1. What musical instruments have you played?

Like I know what I’m doing? Never nothing. We did have one of those kid’s electric cheapish pianos when I was growing up, but it wasn’t something I was interested in – I didn’t like the sound it made – and I didn’t learn anything, except maybe do-re-mi-so. When I was 12-15 years old, I would have been interested in learning at least some quitar at school, but the music teacher didn’t allow us to touch the instruments in the music class room – only the ones in the band/choir were allowed, not us regular students. She didn’t teach us anything except music history and some singing, and wasn’t excited to do that either – again, we were just the regular students, not her special kids. This was the same teacher who was put to teach me, my friend and one other person the alternate thing (elämänkatsomustieto, which the dictionary gives translation to as “ethics”) to religion, and she forgot our planned lessons completely about a dozen times, instead giving extra lessons to her special band/choir kids when she was supposed to be teaching us. You might guess I didn’t think much of this particular teacher.

2. When do you play with your food?

I don’t think I do anymore? I just eat it until I’m done. When I was a kid, I’d play with my food when it was something I didn’t like much and I wasn’t really hungry. Now that I’m an adult and live one my own, I get to decide what to eat and when so I don’t have to play my food anymore 🙂

3. What’s your favorite stage play?

I can’t think of one. I’m not into theatre. Although Gillian Anderson was awesome in A Streetcar Named Desire which I saw a recording of last year. That’s the only one I’ve seen recently enough to remember. But I saw it & enjoyed it because Gillian Anderson, not because of the play itself.

4. What games do you play on your phone?

None. I can’t describe how deep and abiding my disinterest in games is – when I say I couldn’t care less, I genuinely mean I couldn’t care less.

5. When did you recently play it by ear?

I don’t play instruments, and I haven’t had an occasion recently to proceed at something without having at least rudimentary plan to back me up.

A couple of additional notes:

I’ve never had the extra money to put into theatre tickets/music concerts or instruments/hobby lessons as an adult (they’re all too expensive! I’ve looked), so even if there have been something I’ve been interested in seeing or trying out, I couldn’t afford it. After a few years it just became easier to not think about them because then I’d feel left out.

Re: playing by ear: the last 13 years almost nothing could be done without planning because of my illnesses, or I might end up with literally shit in my pants and no rescue, whether that’s bringing extra clothes or additional meds with me.  Even when I was healthy I preferred having some sort of vague plan no matter what we were doing; I don’t really miss doing unplanned stuff in general. I only miss not having to account for diarrhea/stomach pains/migraine attack whenever I leave my home. But all that has become business as usual, even that!

Picture from Pixabay.

Answers to f.friday5.com questions.

1. November is National Peanut Butter Lovers Month. Are you a peanut butter lover? What are some ways you enjoy consuming it?

Nope, can’t stand it. Disgustingly sweet.

2. November is National Roasting Month. What did you most recently roast, and how did it come out?

It’s been such a long time since I roasted something that I can’t remember what it was! Probably chicken (it’s usually chicken), and probably delicious (it’s usually delicious).

3. November is National Gratitude Month, which of course leads to the American Thanksgiving holiday. What are you particularly grateful for this month?

I’m particularly grateful right now for the basic social assistance I was approved again for for the next several months (assuming my monthly income doesn’t change which is unlikely). This means I can pay my medical bills and get my medications as soon as I need to, instead hoping I can get to them in due course. The tax return always messes this up because all the benefit norms are much too low, and calculatorily the tax return is supposed to stretch for far longer than it does in reality with the real prices of food/rent/gas etc. There’s a lot of bureacracy involved in getting approved again, even though this happens every damn year.

4. November is National Inspirational Role Models month. Who are some of your inspirational role models?

I don’t have role models, really. I’m really impressed though how a lot of writers such as Dean Koontz or Camilla Läckberg can produce such good text book after book, especially since I wrote my few fanfics and it’s so hard for myself.

5. November is National Family Stories Month. What’s an oft-told story in your family?

We reminisce various things more than tell stories – like “Do you remember how Caro (our Beagle) used to have the tips of her ears always crusty with dried food? Her ears were so cute and silky!” or “Always had to be extra careful while cooking or baking in the kitchen because Caro would be right behind me and I might step on her paws when stepping back or to the side if I didn’t remember to be extra careful about moving around!” or “Remember when we went camping when I was a kid every summer? I loved swimming in the ocean when it was raining; kid!me thought it was so much fun [Mom and Dad didn’t think it was fun on the other hand…]. ” That sort of thing.