the cheese stands alone

Daredevilish

Dare you take this week's Friday Five?

1. What's the most daring thing you've ever done?
In 1986, having discovered that the best job I could get with my almost-associates-degree in my hometown was part-time cage-cleaner at a pet shop, I swallowed my pride, packed up my p.o.s. Datsun and headed west, to resume putting up with more shit than any one woman should have to put up with from an estranged alcoholic near-ex husband reunite with my then-spouse, who had fled my wrath previously moved to California in hopes of escaping creditors bettering his future.
My mom, hoping to convince me not to go, told me she'd lied about my date of birth and that I was really only 16 and was therefore grounded. Nice try, Mom.
And off I went, driving alone across the continent, with only an AM radio and a small amount of speed (thanks, Tammy). No air conditioning, of course, and it being late June, I found my left arm was nice and crackly-burnt within two days while my right was swaddled in sweat. No matter, I was outta there.
Further adventures to be pimped out for later posts related at a future date. Suffice it to say, it was the longest five days of my life. And in some ways, the most interesting.

2. What one thing would you like to try that your mother/friend/significant other would never approve of?
I want plastic surgery. I want to cut off my nose to spite my face. I want a face lift so tight that when I cross my legs my head snaps back. I want a boob lift and a tummy tuck and an ass restructuring and a knee-ectomy.
I want to go in looking like me and come out looking like Lucy Lui.

3. On a scale of 1-10, what's your risk factor? (1=never take risks, 10=it's a lifestyle)
When I was a tadpole, I was a 24/7 10. If it was tall, I climbed it and jumped off. If it were wet, I dove into it. If it moved, I wrestled it.
These days, I have an unlisted phone number, I research everything I do until it's dissected to the nth degree, and I've been mostly agoraphobic for the past seven years.
Here's the thing about risk.... when we're young, and have our entire lives ahead of us, we do every stupid and dangerous thing that we can. As we get old, and have little to look forward to except older age, illness and death, we bundle up in protectiveness and see demons everywhere.
Funny, huh?

4. What's the best thing that's ever happened to you as a result of being bold/risky?
As a result of #1, I met the GM1. It was the best thing that's happened to me since I scampered out of the womb. Including becoming addicted to oxygen.
I'd grow gills for the GM1. Oh yes I would.

5. ... and what's the worst?
Being wild and crazy enough at 18 to run off with the complete loser pothead then-love-of-my soon to be fucked up near-irreparably life. It took me 12 years to adjust to the damage done in that one short afternoon of hurried packing and zipping off into the sunset.
Man, was I a dumbass or what?

You know, usually the Five cheers me up a little. As I come to the end of this week's, I find it's done the opposite. Sucks, huh? Children, do as I say, and please for the love of all that's good and true, not as I do.
Like they say, if you can't be a good example, you'll just have to be a horrible warning.
I'm going back to bed for the weekend.

Posted by LeeAnn at February 6, 2004 07:18 AM