Stephanie Morrow

I'm complicated, and not so much. I'm a writer. A volunteer. A wanna-be minimalist. A feeler.  I have an eclectic group of friends who teach me to look at life through very different lenses. I am not at all artistic, but I am creative. I'm right-handed, but middle-brained. I'm good with words, but stink at puzzles. I have to be careful not to interrupt. I like to strike up conversations with people I don't know. I like being challenged. I like to read books I don't think I will agree with. I almost never get angry. I never yell - okay, once in 1998. I have the best relationship with my kids, and though they are now grown, I don't feel that my job as a mom is finished.  My heart breaks for kids who aren't loved.  A long time ago I married a cowboy who turned out to be my polar opposite.  I hate dealing with money. If I never had to pay a bill or balance an account or plan a budget, it would be alrighty, okie dokie with me.  I like to give money away. It seems like the right thing to do with money I get paid from a job I love so much I would do it for free anyway. I don't care about vehicles even a little bit. I bite my cuticles when I'm nervous or bored. I love autumn and thunderstorms and snow.  I have no patience for people who play the "poor pitiful me" role over stupid things. I panic, I'm talking cold sweats and dying a little inside, everytime I get put on the spot . . . I need time to prepare. I like to drive.  I love to crank up music as high as I can stand it and sing at the top of my lungs when no one else is around. I love to quiz Kevin on music trivia. I love when he quizzes me right back or sticks his headphones on my ears and says, "Hey, I think you'll like this".  I hate to talk on the phone unless it's to someone I love. I used to be a notorious multitasker, now I prefer simplicity. I love to plan and organize, but I'm not always good at the follow-through. I'm obsessively punctual. I'm not a collector of things, I do not think shopping should be recreational.  I procrastinate jobs that can't be done in one sitting. I struggle with decision-making for fear I will make the wrong one and will have to live with it for a long time. I love movies. I hate watching movies by myself.  I almost went blind, so when I say I have a new outlook on life, I mean that figuratively and literally.  I'd rather pay for something I don't want or didn't get than deal with customer service.  I have neglected taking care of myself for a variety of issues, but I'm working on that.  I hate to cry. I cry at everything. I'm always the last person to leave, as I don't want to be left out of anything. I HATE surprises. I'm not nearly as good a person on the inside as I want to be. I'm grateful for the friends in my life who make that "inner me" want to be more authentic. I love color. I love the smell of hazelnut coffee. I love sushi. I hate going to bed with a dirty kitchen. I enjoy folding laundry. I dislike yardwork of all kind. I like baths, not showers - including baby and wedding showers. I like history and literature - especially children's books. Childbirth, when done right, is fascinating and empowering. I love to write. I hate not knowing what to write about. When I have to shop, I prefer to do it online.  I hate judgmental attitudes. Although in saying that, it kind of makes me judgmental. I'm a klutz and a bit of a geek. I used to avoid issues, not so much now. I'm a night owl who also happens to wake up early. I intentionally try every day to make somebody's life a little better. I'm very affectionate. I'm funny. I use sarcasm like salt. I'm trying to use it more like, say, paprika: occasionally, and only when appropriate. I'm also quick to compliment. I am not happy with myself  but I do like myself.  I have great hair. I like to think I'm a realistic optimist. Or maybe an optimistic realist. I used to believe everything was black and white. Now, I see everything in shades of gray. Which, for someone who likes color, is very disorienting. I used to think life was about getting through it successfully by doing as few bad things as possible. How ridiculously STUPID is that? Now I understand life is my opportunity to love those around me, not because I have to, but because I want to. That's who I am.