THE meme!
First Name: Geleni. In English this is pronounced: Gel (as in hair gel), aye (as in Fonzie), ni (as in knee or the Knights of Ni.) In Spanish it's pronounced Hel (as in Hell & Damnation!) eh (as in eh!) ni (as in see above.) Until I was six I was called by the second pronunciation, but when I went to English-speaking school I was called by the first, and that's what stuck. My parents are Cuban, but it's not a Latino name. I was named after a childhood friend of my mother's who may have been Turkish, but it's not a Turkish name either. Mystery!
Age: 40.
Location: Park Slope (hanging by my fingernails!) Brooklyn, NY, US.
Occupation: Soon-to-be licensed acupuncturist. Also self-defense, violence-prevention, and qigong teacher.
Partner: Lissette, AKA telurian is my loving, inspiring, and sweet partner of almost 13 years. We've lived together for 11. She's working for Commerce Bank right now, but has worked in the financial services industry, and has a long history of doing social justice and organizing work, as well as journalism. We met through a personal ad she placed in the Village Voice, and it was the only personal ad I ever responded to. We push each other in good ways, and sometimes push each others buttons. We grow well together :)
Kids: None at the time. We've been talking for several years about having one, and probably in this next year will be taking steps to adopt. No definite plans at this time, though.
Brothers/Sisters: One sister, 7 years older. She looks like a girly me (or I look like a boyly her), except she dyes her hair. She's a talented and award winning teacher with over 20 years of experience. I spent chunks of my childhood in adoration of her, trying to be her and failing, and having a few crazy, vicious physical fights with her. (I dumped a full glass of milk on her just-done hair on the night of her prom, she chased me all the way out of the apartment and into the street before she got me. Another time we ended up on the floor kicking, punching, and rolling around over what to watch on TV.) Today we get along very well, though there's mild coolness to her emotionally. We sometimes say the same thing at the same time and finish each other's sentences, which freaks out my niece. (My sister is the mother of my fabulous, 18 year-old, Oberlin-going niece, A.)
Pets: 1 cat, Bean. Our 12 year-old, chubby, tuxedo-clad fella.
List the 3-5 biggest things going on in your life: There's actually just two that override everything else these days: 1) Going through several steps to start my new profession. 2) Health stuff; questions, mostly.
School: I was the school-pariah as a child through age 15. (Really, I was that kid. Sometimes it meant physical violence, but most of the time it was threats and routine humiliation, every single day.) At 15 I simultaneously flunked out of and transferred from my small, Catholic girls' school to a big public school where I enjoyed being anonymous (and drunk and high), but also reading, painting, and writing poetry. Dropped out again, was valedictorian of my GED program, and went to nursing school and got an Associate's degree. Now I also have a Bachelor's and a Master's. As an adult I've loved the experience of being a student. I'm now a popular extrovert in the classroom, which is amazing :)
Parents: They live in Miami. My mother is an affectionate and extroverted person today, though she struggles with chronic pain issues. She's a natural organizer and detail person. She was addicted to pills and really depressed and lonely in my childhood, spending days in bed. She has a lot more joy in her life now and we get along well. My mother knits and makes gorgeous scarves, especially. She's coming to visit me soon! My father is a life-long alcoholic (though we believe he's stopped drinking this past year.) He's extremely shy and removed from people around him. When I was growing up he was a boisterous drunk; and violent, drunk or sober. My sister was the target more often than I was. I know now that both he and my mother grew up physically abused by their parents. He's different now. He jokes and tries to reach out. He's very frail with a Parkinsonian-like illness that makes it very hard for him to walk. On my graduation night he not only told me he loved me (over the phone), but that he was proud of me - the only time he's every said that. Made me cry *
There were lots of good things about my family growing up, too. We told stories, dressed up and performed plays; and my sister, our friends, and I would run all over Prospect Park until it was dark out.
Who are some of your closest friends? As others have said - I have a few, and they know who they are :) I'm happy for all old and new friends!
Age: 40.
Location: Park Slope (hanging by my fingernails!) Brooklyn, NY, US.
Occupation: Soon-to-be licensed acupuncturist. Also self-defense, violence-prevention, and qigong teacher.
Partner: Lissette, AKA telurian is my loving, inspiring, and sweet partner of almost 13 years. We've lived together for 11. She's working for Commerce Bank right now, but has worked in the financial services industry, and has a long history of doing social justice and organizing work, as well as journalism. We met through a personal ad she placed in the Village Voice, and it was the only personal ad I ever responded to. We push each other in good ways, and sometimes push each others buttons. We grow well together :)
Kids: None at the time. We've been talking for several years about having one, and probably in this next year will be taking steps to adopt. No definite plans at this time, though.
Brothers/Sisters: One sister, 7 years older. She looks like a girly me (or I look like a boyly her), except she dyes her hair. She's a talented and award winning teacher with over 20 years of experience. I spent chunks of my childhood in adoration of her, trying to be her and failing, and having a few crazy, vicious physical fights with her. (I dumped a full glass of milk on her just-done hair on the night of her prom, she chased me all the way out of the apartment and into the street before she got me. Another time we ended up on the floor kicking, punching, and rolling around over what to watch on TV.) Today we get along very well, though there's mild coolness to her emotionally. We sometimes say the same thing at the same time and finish each other's sentences, which freaks out my niece. (My sister is the mother of my fabulous, 18 year-old, Oberlin-going niece, A.)
Pets: 1 cat, Bean. Our 12 year-old, chubby, tuxedo-clad fella.
List the 3-5 biggest things going on in your life: There's actually just two that override everything else these days: 1) Going through several steps to start my new profession. 2) Health stuff; questions, mostly.
School: I was the school-pariah as a child through age 15. (Really, I was that kid. Sometimes it meant physical violence, but most of the time it was threats and routine humiliation, every single day.) At 15 I simultaneously flunked out of and transferred from my small, Catholic girls' school to a big public school where I enjoyed being anonymous (and drunk and high), but also reading, painting, and writing poetry. Dropped out again, was valedictorian of my GED program, and went to nursing school and got an Associate's degree. Now I also have a Bachelor's and a Master's. As an adult I've loved the experience of being a student. I'm now a popular extrovert in the classroom, which is amazing :)
Parents: They live in Miami. My mother is an affectionate and extroverted person today, though she struggles with chronic pain issues. She's a natural organizer and detail person. She was addicted to pills and really depressed and lonely in my childhood, spending days in bed. She has a lot more joy in her life now and we get along well. My mother knits and makes gorgeous scarves, especially. She's coming to visit me soon! My father is a life-long alcoholic (though we believe he's stopped drinking this past year.) He's extremely shy and removed from people around him. When I was growing up he was a boisterous drunk; and violent, drunk or sober. My sister was the target more often than I was. I know now that both he and my mother grew up physically abused by their parents. He's different now. He jokes and tries to reach out. He's very frail with a Parkinsonian-like illness that makes it very hard for him to walk. On my graduation night he not only told me he loved me (over the phone), but that he was proud of me - the only time he's every said that. Made me cry *
There were lots of good things about my family growing up, too. We told stories, dressed up and performed plays; and my sister, our friends, and I would run all over Prospect Park until it was dark out.
Who are some of your closest friends? As others have said - I have a few, and they know who they are :) I'm happy for all old and new friends!