LJ Idol Week 0: Introduction
Answering the question, "Who are you?" is far more complicated than just spelling out your name, age, hometown, current residence, status, race, gender, and orientation. (I can do that in one line, though: Mike, 25, born in San Francisco, living in Seattle, SWM, straight.)
To really answer the question is to provide insight into the soul. The simplest way to do so, in my case, lies in the following sentence:
I'm not going to apologize for being who I am.
Yes, some of my opinions, beliefs, and actions may be unpopular. Certainly, I could try to make excuses (It was my upbringing! My environment! My g-g-g-g-g-g-g-generation!), or hide behind the labels that have become so popular. However, if I'm not willing to put myself on the line for who I am, then there's no way I can possibly answer the question, "Who am I?"
Four things stand out above all others in this regard:
1) I am an unapologetic Christian.
Some of you, I'm sure, tuned out at the moment you read those words. Others have already formed an image in their minds, and a few may have decided not to vote for me on that basis. SO BE IT.
Granted, I'm not the person that the media sometimes makes Christians out to be: intolerant, right-wing, gay-bashing, abortion-clinic-bombing, abstinence-teaching kooks. There's a whole other side to Christianity that never sees the light of day, because the kooks get better ratings. I'm not going to fully explain myself here (I do have to save some material for later, after all), but I will simply say that Christianity is not about Christians, but about Christ. Also, it's become cliche in Christian circles to say "hate the sin, love the sinner," but my goal is to truly live it.
2) I am an unapologetic competitor.
Ever since I was young, I've always strived to be the best at anything I do. Given that I grew up an only child, without anyone to really "compete" with, one may wonder where this comes from. Truthfully, I'm not too sure myself, but simply put: I hate losing.
As I've matured, I've gotten better at finding ways to turn the switch off when it's necessary--and, perhaps more importantly, figuring out when those times are. It's not as though I regard relationships as a race, friendships as a fight, or work as a war. But give me goals, and I'll strive to reach them; put opponents across from me, and I'll try to beat them. I believe the wisdom of Churchill--that it is the competitors, not the critics, who count.
3) I am an unapologetic sports fan.
I come by this honestly; both of my parents are sports fans. Growing up just south of San Francisco, I was raised to root for the boys in orange and black--and loathe Dodger blue. While I'm still biased for my hometown teams, I find myself willing to watch pretty much any sporting event--and it's not because I have money on the game.
Why, then, do I watch? Because sports, to me, are the original reality television--and still the best. Because, as someone who has never been particularly skilled athletically, I can let my competitive streak play out vicariously on the screen. Because the drama, emotion, triumph, and heartbreak of a truly compelling game rivals any episode of "Days of Our Lives" or "Survivor." Because watching the best do what they do best is an experience all unto its own.
4) I am an unapologetic nerd.
This last point manifests itself in many ways, most obviously my tournament Scrabble career. I could write at length about it, but I've taken up a lot of words already, so here's an executive summary. (If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many is a hyperlink worth?)
Besides this, I've dabbled in poker, bridge, cribbage, and quite a few other card games. My bookshelves provide testament to these pursuits, as well as my admiration for Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Douglas Adams. I have Dilbert cartoons on my cubicle walls, a set of golf clubs in my trunk, and a shelf full of math textbooks in my apartment. My Youtube favorites list contains, among other things, videos by Rockapella, Weird Al, and Michael Buble. All of this only scratches the surface, of course.
So, that's me. Hopefully, through this competition, we'll all learn a little something about each other. May we accept one another--and ourselves--for who we are.
Mike
(Posted to http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/176456.html)