The Love it/Shove it Challenge

@shadowspub nominated me to take part in this little challenge which originated with @snowpea. If you want to read the post where I was tagged: click here. The purpose of this challenge is to learn more about each other, and to thereby foster friendships by sharing a bit of our true selves.

● MUSIC
—I basically like all types of music! My favorite genres are DeepHouse, Jazz, Blues, Ambient, Downtempo, and NewAge, but my personal music collection ranges from Beethoven to Bananarama, from Black Sabbath to Bob Marley, from Benny Goodman to Bob Dylan, from BT to Blondie, from Blink-182 to BoCephus, literally. I like variety.

● VARIETY
—The same as with music, I like variety in other aspects of life. Even though I am a "creature of habit" in many respects, I enjoy taking a different route to the grocery store each time I go. I also like variety in foods, with beef liver and the most pungent of cheeses being the only common foods I do not enjoy. Almost any vegetable, fruit, berry, nut, meat, bread, etc. is good to me! I love all colors, and have a very colorful closet. Again, I like variety!

● PHOTOGRAPHY/EDITING
—I like making photos, both for artistic purposes as well as using them as a visual diary, of sorts. I can easily know the date of various events by scanning through my photos. Editing photos for artistic effect is a fun hobby for me and I find it good stress-relief.

● NAPPING
—I am fond of naps. That's one of the many reasons my friends call me "Kitty" —click here to read the rest of the story about my name.

● LEARNING
—I have always loved to learn! I feel that learning and growing is important to keep from becoming mentally stagnant. As a child, I often sat on the floor in front of the encyclopedia bookcase and read the articles. At the end of the articles, when it said to "See Also..." related topics, I did! My parents had to chase me outside to get fresh air — LOL!

● CLOSED-MINDED INDIVIDUALS
—To me, this group includes those who refuse to consider other points-of-view, those who refuse to try new things, and those who seem to have pre-formed opinions on everything. All of the above are annoying people to be around because their viewpoints are stifling and limiting.

● KNOW-IT-ALLS
—Those who think they know any given topic better than anyone else. I have a rather well-rounded education, meaning I know a little about many different topics; however, I do not consider myself a master of any of them — including those topics in which I hold a college degree. As mentioned above, I love learning and growing, and I am glad there are plenty of unexplored topics to delve into! Most people I know are the same, and I have the most admiration for people who can admit when they don't know something, or at least agree that someone else might be correct once-in-a-while.

● BIGOTS
—None of us have control of our race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, gender, sexual-orientation, or socio-economic status at birth. Discriminating against people for those things is absurd. In countries where democracy is in action, each individual is free to make choices, and those choices should be respected by others as long as those choices are not hurting anyone. Oddly, those who are most vocal about not having their own rights downtrodden are frequently the first to take action against others for their rights/choices. It is puzzling and infuriating.

● NEEDLESSLY PICKY PEOPLE
—We all have our preferences, and we all have our favorites, nothing wrong with that. But when people get locked-in to a rut, it makes life difficult for others. I remember how difficult it was picking a place to eat when a group of friends or coworkers tried to go out to eat — one person didn't like Chinese food, another didn't like Italian, one was vegetarian and didn't want to go to the steak house, another despised seafood... So, we always went to this one diner-style restaurant where each could get a blue-plate special of their choosing, while MANY wonderful restaurants, nearby, went un-sampled by us. Compromise is a good thing, and life is easier when people are agreeable, rather than picky.

● THOUGHTLESS, AND AGGRESSIVE, DRIVERS
—I live in a relatively rural area. The traffic laws in this area indicate that drivers should stay in the RIGHT lane unless they are passing another vehicle OR preparing to turn left. Yet, many drivers stay in the LEFT lane, even when they are not passing nor preparing to turn left. I have lost track of the times I've been on a particular 15-mile stretch of highway between two nearby towns and seen someone drive in the left lane the whole way, only to quickly cut-people-off to get into the right lane to make a right-turn into his destination. And often, these drivers are impeding others from passing them. It is thoughtless and ridiculous, and I have even seen sheriff's deputies doing the same thing. Around here, the RIGHT lane often is smoother-sailing than the left. And the worst are those that switch lanes often, back-and-forth, so they can get around everyone like they're going to battle a fire, yet they never seem to get pulled for their aggressive behavior. 😠