5 Truths and a Lie

I was telling a friend that one of the things I love most about writing is how it allows me to make connections to other people. In a way, a blog is often like an online diary that we let other people read. Some people get very personal, and visiting their blog can feel like having a conversation with an old friend.

But can you really know everything about a person just by reading snippets of their lives? Or at least make an educated guess about who they are in real life? Well, we’re about to find out.

I’m putting my Hooked on Tonics to a test. We’ll see how well do you know the real Jen, the one who exists outside of WordPress. Below are five truths, and one lie about me.  Can you tell which is which?

(1) I am an emergency preparedness enthusiast. I’ve taken basic survival courses, and am also a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member. I have basic supplies stored in my home and car should a natural disaster occur, or I become stranded. One of my goals is to become Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certified in the next six months.

Totally legit picture of me just getting my archery on

(2) I am trained in the art of Kyusho Jitsu which is a Japanese martial arts technique of attacking another person’s pressure points. I know how to inflict pain with a simple touch, and could even cause involuntary reflexes by lightly tapping you. If you really act up, I could make you pass out. Some people claim their hands are registered weapons, but it’s actually true in my case.

(3) I got picked last in a lot of things as a kid, but sports were never one of them. I’m actually very athletic, and played basketball, soccer and volleyball growing up. Despite being the size of a gnome, I was pretty good at throwing up shots in basketball, especially free throw shots. I was so good at them that I placed in a statewide free throw tournament when I was in junior high.

BEAST MODE

(4) One of my very first jobs was working at a collection agency. I helped with processing bankruptcy notifications, cease and desist letters, and notices of death. I also handled calls from people I now consider to be the original Tea Party members. They say the collection agents are bad, but I was threatened multiple times by the debtors themselves.

(5) People often say, “I was dropped on my head as a kid” but I can say that it actually happened to me. If you look closely at some of my pictures, you’ll see that I have a scar below my right eyebrow. That came as a result of my cousin dropping me when I was a baby, and me hugging the floor with my face. It explains a lot, doesn’t it?

I apologize for this disturbing imagery

(6) I experience temporary hearing loss as a result of inner ear issues that I’ve had since I was a child. Do you have a kid who only seems to get sick in the middle of the night? Yep, that was me with my ears. Now, as an adult, I still get ringing and pressure in my ears that sometimes last for hours at a time…usually in the middle of the night.

So which which one is the lie? Let me know in the comments section what your guesses are. I’ll reveal the answer in tomorrow’s post.

Bloggers: I’d love it if you “stole” this idea, and played the game with your readers too. We’ll see how much we all really know about each other.

Tags: 5 truths and a lie, basketball, BlogHer, challenge, emergency preparedness, game, martial arts, NaBloPoMo, Nano Poblano, tea party