The ABC's of Me

I don't usually engage in these revelatory exercises.  But by special request, and in the interest of full disclosure, I provide the following alphabetized list of things vaguely relating to myself:

Aloof: It's not so much that I don't like people-- although very often I don't-- but that I'm reluctant to share what's important to me.  It isn't often well-received, and I prefer not to make people uncomfortable.

Books:  The few physical possessions that have any worth to me.  (The others would be my laptop and notebooks, and a few instruments and decorative items.)  I have a fair number around the house. 

Creative:  One of the cardinal virtues in my eyes.  I've always been creative in one way or another, and I'm drawn to it in others.

Dominant:  See below.

English:  My major in college and my field in graduate school.  I've taught college courses.  Not always very well.

Fantasy:  My first love in literature.  As a child, my favorite books were the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander; I cried at the end of The High King.  

Guarded Viewing (Off):  Where you'll see the majority of my output here on Gather.  I apologize in advance.

Homebody:  I love a quiet evening in, or as close to it as can be managed: books or a movie on the couch, drinks on the porch.  I can be coaxed to a coffee shop.

Intelligent:  No, really!

John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester:  The subject of my undergraduate and master's theses, and of one chapter of my dissertation.  Also one of my favorite poets.  He doesn't get into the anthologies much.

Kinky:  In the technical sense.  Yes.  See "Dominant" above.

Literate

Magnanimous:  What I aspire to be.  To me, being "great souled" means having a due appreciation of your own worth and a consequent regard for the strengths and weaknesses of others-- acknowledging the former and allowing for the latter.  Cruelty and pettiness arise from a lack of self-esteem.

Nerdy:  I consider myself more of a geek, but I really wanted to do that "guarded viewing" thing.   I've enjoyed all of the nerdy stuff: video games, roleplaying, you name it.

Obdurate:  A source of woe, but there's no helping it now.

Patient:  One of the few personal virtues that I unreservedly claim.  

Quiet

Roses:  My favorite flower.  I have several bushes around the place here, which I have let go terribly because of "S" below.

Slothful:  Oh, yes.  My ability to lay about and waste time on absolutely nothing is unparalleled.  That's why I'm writing this!

Taste:  I don't know that I have this, but I'd like to.  To be able to discern the best or most fitting in its kind-- be it a skirt, the color for a wall, light and shadow in a painting, the elevation of an ode-- would be a nice thing. 

Unassuming

Violet:  My favorite color.

Witty:  No, really!

Xylophone:  X is for xylophone.  Also for "x-tremely hard to find good x-words."

Youthful:  In appearance.  I'm thirty-five, but I think people looking at me tend to assume that I'm younger than that.   On the up side, I'm already going white at the temples, so that'll look distinguished at some point.

Zinc:  Something I don't get enough of in my diet.  See "X" above.

---

And now you know a little more about me.  :)  If you've read down this far, then you're a good soul, and thank you for that.  If you choose to do this exercise as well, I'll be happy to return the favor.