If you could choose any place in the world to live, where would it be?

That's a hard choice to make. We moved a lot when I was little and I lived in a lot of states within the USA. My favorite was probably Washington because the environment is so peaceful and green. I always wanted to travel though, so if I could live anywhere I would probably pick Ireland. That's where my ancestors are from (hence the red hair) and it's always seemed like an amazing place to me.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was little I wanted to be an actress on Broadway. I loved to sings and dance. I would make up songs and sing them at school, in the grocery store, for people on the street. I just loved performing. There's something awesome about being a kid and having no shame, no fear. Adults should be more like that, open to new possibilities I mean. We lose that magic that says we can be what we want and believe what we want. It's a shame.

Your occupation now?

I work from home doing various freelance jobs. Nothing that pays well or is very rewarding but I get by. I became very ill when I was fifteen and discovered that I have liver disease so I can't work like most people. People tend to take that in strange ways. Some people feel bad for me and treat my like I'm made of glass. Other people can't stand to know about things that aren't positive, so they ignore me, the way people in L.A. try to ignore the homeless people. Other people act mad, like it's my fault and I'm just being lazy or this is by choice. AndÊsome people are afraid they will catch my disease. I wish people would just treat me like a person. I expect understanding of my limitations but not pity. In a way it's freeing. Because it made me realize I'm not immortal so I live more true to myself. I sing when I want to, dance when I want to, even if I'm in public. When I'm in an elevator or an escalator sometimes I say wheeeee! Even if people are around lol. My illness is only a small part of my life and I'm happy in spite of it. Someday I hope to be a teacher and a mother.

What are some of your interests and hobbies?

I love to read. I'll read anything I can get my hands on. I also like to draw and I make my own custom graphics. I make stationary for Incredimail. I make layouts for websites. I even run a couple websites. I play a lot of console games like Final Fantasy and Silent Hill. It keeps me young lol. Right now I'm playing The Sims Online. I like to write and I even have a couple poems published. I do charity work when I can, like participating in the Blogathon each year. I try to be well rounded and try a little of everything. Right now my interests lie mostly in learning about the world and where I fit into it. I love to learn about history, religion, philosophy. I like to observe people too, they fascinate me.

What would you say are your character strengths?

I think my greatest strength is how much I care for people. I love everyone, even people I don't know and I go out of my way to help them or make their lives easier and happier. I send my mom these coins with angels on them and she gives them to people she sees who look sad or lost or afraid. Everyone should have an angel :) I play the claw machines and then give the prizes to the first kid I see. I tape coupons to items in the grocery store (because 25 cents is a lot to some people). I leave notes for the wait staff when we go out to eat complimenting the service and telling them they should be proud of their hard work and that they brightened our day. I buy brand new toys and drop them off at the salvation army (batteries included). I just think the little things we do make a big difference to some people. It's nothing grand, but I try to help where I can. We're all connected you know? That makes you family. And what's more important than family?

Weaknesses?

My greatest strength is also my weakness. Sometimes I care to much and my heart gets invested. People tend to take advantage of me because I have a hard time saying no, especially when kids are involved. I get talked into a lot of things and then end up overwhelmed with work. People tend to assume that because I don't have a nine to five job I'm not doing anything so I should do whatever they want without question. It's my own fault really, I have to stand up for myself.

Do you have any quirks you think are strange or amusing?

Well, I was born without that little thing under my tongue that holds it down, so I can actually swallow my own tongue which kids just love. I see ghosts, have prophetic dreams, predict earthquakes and I firmly believe fairies steal my jewelry. I also like to eat odd things, like pickle sandwiches. I'm fascinated by odd things, little known facts and oddities. I end up at some pretty interesting websites lol.

Who is/was the most influential person/role model in your life?

My role model is my best friend, my husband. He was the first person to treat my like a human being and who loved me for who I am and not what I could do for him. He's in college and he works very hard. He's very compassionate and understanding. If I could be like someone else, I would want to be like him.

What are your achievements/accomplishments that you are the most proud of?

When I was twelve or so I tried out for a part in a community theatre play and got it. I was so scared and so shy. I was really proud of myself for leaving home when I was fifteen and taking care of myself. I was in a bad place and I needed to get away from my family but I was taught that it's wrong to do things for yourself so it was very hard for me to leave. When I married my husband I was proud of myself. I didn't think I would ever let myself love anyone so letting someone into my heart was a big step for me as well. My most recent achievement was graduating from high school this last July at the age of 22. I was forced to leave school my senior year because of my illness so I had to finish from home. I was overjoyed the day I got my diploma because I worked very hard for it.

Are you currently single, involved, or married?

I'm very happily married, four years this coming July 24th 2003. He's the best husband ever.

What qualities do you find the most attractive in other people?

Men seems so sure of themselves, so fearless. They are freer to be who they want to be and women are so restrained. Also men tend to just come out and say things, where women tend to gossip. I never understood the whole female rivalry thing. Why do we compete with each other and get so catty? Men stick together and defend each other, even when they shouldn't lol.

What is one thing you would change about the world?

If I could, I would make the world more democratic and more involved. Most people know little about what goes on in their own town let alone the world. We let a small select group of people make most of our choices for us and then complain about how terrible things are. I think we too often sit back and expect the world to take care of itself while we have fun. We should take more responsibility and not complain unless we can offer a solution and intend to put in the time to fix it ourselves.

What is your favorite food?

Rice because there are so many things you can do with it. It can be savory or sweet, soft or firm. You can do anything with it. I like diversity.

If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose?

I always wanted to meet Danny Kaye who was a famous actor/dancer/singer from the thirties to the late sixties. I love watching old musicals and my favorites were always Han's Christen Anderson and White Christmas. When I was a teen and other girls were in love with Tom Cruise and boy bands, I was in love with a guy who was dead before I was even born. He just had such an energy about him. And I love the fashion and music from that time period. It had so much more energy and playfulness than modern styles.

If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you do with the money?

I've never been a very material person, money isn't a big deal to me. It would be nice to pay off my husbands student loans and bills and so on. Outside of that I would probably buy a house since I've never really lived in a nice house and being safe and secure is very important to me. The rest I would keep for my kids college education.

Do you consider yourself a spiritual person?

I used to be very much against religion when I was a teenager because of how fake it all seemed. A lot of people wear religion like a crown or like a get out of sin free card. They lord it over people like they are superior or they claim to be religious and then completely ignore the teachings of their religion. I do think I am a very spiritual person now. I guess I'm a Pagan. I think we are all connected, even the plants and animals and everything in the universe. I believe in magic, as a sort of natural force like gravity. I believe we determine the shape and sense of the world through positive and negative energy. I don't know. Maybe my beliefs are odd, people tell me they are. None of us follows the same religion because we all think differently on one thing or another. So I guess in our own way, we define and follow our own personal religion.

Is there any particular historical era that you feel drawn to?

So many to choose from lol. The Egyptians, the Celts, the ancient Greeks and Hindu's. Medieval times are particularly fascinating to me. I sometimes wear my wenches costume and go to Renaissance faires. I'm even a member of the International Wenches Guild. I'm really just interested in history in general. Everything from the dawn of time to modern times is so interesting.

What are your favorite books and authors?

The Wheel Of Time series by Robert Jordan, The Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and every book by Christopher Pike and Stephen King. Those were the books that got me through childhood and my teen years. They really saved my life. Some people say they don't like to read but I say they just haven't found the right books.

What are your favorite movies?

Another hard question. The Wizard Of Oz, The Color Purple, Ever After, Amelie. There are so many.

What is your most prized possession?

We moved a lot when I was a kid and usually that meant we had to leave everything behind and start over. The one thing I've been able to take with me is the teddy bear I got for Christmas when I was five. It was one of the few times we got presents and I just got really attached. I still keep him with me next to the bed. He's naked now and one ear is burned where my brother put him in the heating vent. His eyes are scratched, he's grey instead of white and there pink glue on his head. But he was my first friend, and that's not something I would give up without a fight. I wouldn't abandon my friend just because he changed. He's still the same bear inside lol.

What is your favorite color?

Purple. No green. Wait, red. No Gold! lol I can't pick.

What are your favorite television shows?

My favorite shows are the scifi/fantasy shows like Angel, Buffy and Firefly. Comedies like Andy Richter, Malcolm In The Middle, Scrubs. Dramatic series like Gilmore Girls and ER. And Offbeat things like Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Absolutely Fabulous and even cartoons like Ed Edd and Eddy.

What are some of your pet peeves?

People drive me nuts lol. People who let other people think for them or try to control others or can't handle diversity. People who are truly stupid. Not ignorant people, because you shouldn't be ashamed that you don't know something. But people who know better and choose to ignore that knowledge and continue to exhibit poor behavior. Violence, disrespect, lies. Food bugs me. Most of it isn't even real and the stuff that is is made of animals who were mistreated or vegetables sprayed with chemicals. All the pollution and war and waste of everything from resources to lives. The world confuses me a lot. The little things that bother me are things like people who don't wash their hand after they use the restroom, bugs of any kind, glitter and clowns. I have a phobia of the last two. I know, I'm weird.

What are some of the issues that you are passionate about?

I think we devote to much time to conquering other people and exploring space when we have problems in our own homes. Rape kits get destroyed and children go hungry and the polar ice caps are melting. I think more time and money need to be put into our own people and our own planet. I'm big on freedom of choice in all things. Fair treatment of children and animals and just people in general. More money and time spent on cures for diseases and less on the new clothing fad, potato chip and beauty product. We are entirely to lazy and superficial. It also really bothers me how people don't value everyday things and don't take responsibility for their actions. I know a lot of people use programs like Napster and take graphics off the net and never think about the fact that it's stealing or who it might hurt. As a graphic designer I'm very sensitive to things like this. Most people don't realize it's theft or figure that as long as they use it in a non profit way that means it's not illegal or immoral. But artists have feelings and rights to and I believe in giving proper credit where it's due. If you see or hear something you want and can't afford to pay for it, ask the artist for permission to use it and give them credit for the hard work they put into creating something beautiful and meaningful for you.

Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

I used to have a stud in my nose but I took it out. I would never get a tattoo, they're too permanent.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish before you die?

I want to make a difference and I hope to do that through my children. My dream in life is to have kids of my own and to raise them with a sense of freedom but also of responsibility. Usually when I say my dream is to be a mother women give me this dirty look that says 'That's all?" As if being a mother isn't a worthy job. We used to be told we had to have kids and not work. Now we are told we have to work and have kids. I don't really see that as progress. I think progress means having a choice and not being judged for what you choose. If someone wants to work and not have kids, good for them. If they want kids and no secondary job, good for them. And if you want to focus on your children, I think it's a worthwhile goal. I personally think our children are the most important things in the world and not a right but a privilege. So raising children to become adults who contribute and care and make a difference themselves is a very noble and difficult challenge.

What is something you've always wanted to do/try but haven't yet?

I always wanted to sing on Broadway but I don't think that's a realistic goal anymore. I always wanted to be a teacher because next to children and parents I think they are the most important people in our society and a lot of teachers made a difference in my life. I always wanted to run my own business too. Maybe a little coffee/metaphysical store. A little place in a small town where you could rest your feet and actually talk.

Where do you see yourself ten years (what are your goals)?

In the next ten years I plan to help the hubby finish school, pay off our loans, get a house and have kids and hopefully teach. I know it sounds boring but it sounds like heaven to me. I'd also like to pursue my creative side. Paint, write the next great American novel, that sort of thing lol.

What is your favorite quote?

"The true measure of a person is how they behave when they think no one is looking."

And "The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."

We hide behind the anonymity of the the Internet through message boards and games and email. And even in real life we present ourselves to people as one person and only show our true selves in private. It's not just misleading, its dangerous. It releases us of the responsibility to be moral and fair and understanding. I think that who a person really is is reflected in how they behave when they think they can't be seen, they can't be judged or held responsible. It's everything from helping someone you don't know even though you won't get anything from the deal to badmouthing your neighbors while pretending to be their friends. Our private moments define us. Which is why are so careful of peoples perceptions of us. We're afraid Dorothy will see around the curtain and discover we aren't the great and powerful Oz, but ordinary men and women.