Friday, September 14, 2007

Meme about me me - Just The Facts, Ma'am

My friends Charlotte and Heather tagged me with a revealing meme. I am now compelled to share eight random tidbits about myself. But first, I must follow the rules -

The rules:
Link to the person/people who tagged me.
Share eight facts about myself.
Tag eight more bloggers to participate.
Notify them of their tagged state..:)

*I'll add my rule - if I tag you and you don't want to participate, no worries, no pressure.

And away we go:

I was adopted at 2 ½ months old by incredible parents. They’d tried for over ten years to have a baby, enduring many miscarriages and the death of their infant daughter. Finally, they turned to adoption and found me. Thirty years later, I located my birth family. I have great relationships with my birth mother and father. Along with them, I found two half-brothers. When I was little I’d beg my parents for a little brother. I got my wish times two.


After having two children in my twenties, I divorced and married again. At the ripe old age of 38, I gave birth to another son…my little firecracker. He’s three and is constantly on the move. He leaves me little surprises (MESSES) all over the house. Yesterday I opened the coat closet to find green cake crumbs on the floor (from big sister’s birthday cake), the doorknob caked with dried frosting and a handful of ants having a feast. Let’s just say he keeps me on my toes.


In high school, my best friend was a cute, tall, quiet boy. He had the sweetest smile I’d ever seen and always listened intently to all I had to say, without the drama a best girl friend can produce. I loved having a guy friend. He had a not-so-secret crush on me. I had a boyfriend. When I married at the end of the summer after graduation, Todd dutifully came to my wedding and caught my garter when my new husband flung it into the crowd of young men. He kept it for many years and now I’m married to HIM and happier than I’ve ever been! Ladies, girls – listen up – don’t ignore the sweet, quiet boys in school and think twice before telling one you only want to be friends. Learn from my experience – you’re missing out on something good!

My first job as a laboratory technician/nurse was at a Women’s Clinic in Gulfport, Mississippi. It was during the time when clinics were picketed on a regular basis. I always braved the mob and walked in the front door with my head held high. I believed if they spent one day holding young women’s hands and mediating horrible family situations instead of chanting empty slogans, they might understand. Sometimes, because of my age (right out of college), the picketers would mistake me for a client instead of one of the staff. The horrible things they yelled in my face and the way they treated me (as a person they claimed to want to help) was much worse than the abuse I got when they realized I worked there.

Once I was a foster parent to a teenage girl. She was seventeen. I was twenty-five. It was the worst and best year of my life. She was very troubled and a constant challenge. We bonded quickly, as well as you can with a child who suffers from attachment disorder. I still think about her every day and wish I could hug her just one more time. While she was with me, I won tickets to a U2 concert and the two of us flew cross-country to see them on Saint Patrick’s Day in Boston, Massachusetts. It was the first time she’d been on a plane.

Ten years after deciding to follow my dream of being an author, I recently signed with a literary agent (my DREAM agent from one of the best boutique agencies in NYC). We are working together to polish a manuscript about my experience as a foster mother. Soon he will be shopping it to publishers. I have a good feeling that it will hit the shelves early in 2009 -That’s a little positive thinking on my part. Hey, if I’m going to give lip service to the law of attraction then I better believe in it for my own dreams.

I did print and runway modeling when I was a teenager. Nothing big, just in and around Atlanta – I wasn’t Brooke Shields or anything like that but it was a blast. The most memorable ad was a brochure for Chaparral Boats. I sped around a lake in a ski boat while crew from another boat took pictures of me in, yikes!, a bikini! I was only seventeen. I could pull it off, no problem, back then.

I sometimes let people believe their first impression about me. I get a kick out of perpetuating the pretty, dumb blond stereotype so I can turn it around and stupefy them later with my wit and intellect. It’s kind of like a hustle and it gives me great secret satisfaction to prove them wrong.

There it is, that's me, the woman behind this humble blog. I'm passing on this MeMe to bloggers I am curious about:

Ashley Cecil
LotusInTheHills
Peter McCartney
Mary K
Mr. BeSilly
Jerry E. Beuterbaugh
A. Blaine
David Elton

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, Lisa. What an amazing journey you've been on! Thanks for sharing -- very inspiring. And thanks for the tag. I have to think about what I will write, but I'll get to it soon.

Lisa McGlaun said...

No worries, Mary. Do it at your leisure..:)

I can't wait to read it.

Peace,
Lisa

drivebybanjo said...

Hey Lisa,
I look forward to reading your book! I'll be back after the weekend. Thanks for the tag.

Lisa McGlaun said...

Thanks..I can't wait to it to come out! I appreciate your willingness to do the meme. I'll be looking for your post when you're ready to tackle it.

Heather said...

YAY! Wow - I am so glad you took the time to fill this out. Thank you!

First, CONGRATS on the literary agent and the book! I will be one of the first to run out and buy a copy. I will, of course, want to send it to you for an autograph. Really, I will!

Second, I am fascinated by your story of being a foster mom. Guess that's a good thing, since it's the focus of your book :)

Remember us lil' people when you get all famous on us!!!

Vivienne said...

Hi Lisa, what an interesting and adventurous life you've led already, and you're still a pup! I admire your courage in finding your birth parents and it's nice to hear a happy ending. I'll be looking for your book, in fact, I'll be expecting an autographed copy! Vienne

Lisa McGlaun said...

Vienne and Heather,

You've got it...What would make me even happier is to see you at a book signing and sign the book in person. I consider you my friends and hope that someday there is an opportunity to meet. I find both of you completely fascinating and inspiring!

So pray for a hefty promotion package in my contract. If I get it I'll be sure to plan something in your cities...as a thank you for your encouragement and friendship...:)

Vivienne said...

Oh yeah! I would be right up at the front of the line, waving wildly with several copies stuffed in my arms. This is exciting, I'm going to experience it vicariously, if you don't mind. You should continue posting updates on your blog for us 'fans' :)

Lisa McGlaun said...

Vienne,

LOL..I'm still hoping to see you come my way and go to a HWG meeting with me. I think you should do a presentation about your blog..share some of the entries with us..what do you think?

Peace,
Lisa

myonlyphoto said...

Lisa, this tagging game is really cool, I get to know so much about bloggers and their lives. Good luck with your book. Again nice story, Anna :)

Lisa McGlaun said...

Thank you Anna. Who knows, I may tag you again sometime..lol

Anonymous said...

I'd just like to say - Honey, Brooke Shields has got nothing on you, then or now! And you still pull off the bikini quite stunningly. That coupled with your wit, intellect and compassion make me the lucky one. Thnks for marrying me. It was well worth the wait. Love you!!!

Lisa McGlaun said...

Awww..:)

Love you too, honey. It was worth the wait and I think you should look in the mirror. I'm the lucky one.

Love you,
Lisa

Lisa Wines said...

well. Thanks so much for letting us know more about you. And for showing us how lovely you are. Great pics. Nice story about your hubby - I think girls tend to go for bad boys and ignore the quieter, nice guys. Congrats on Todd. And the book! That is VERY exciting and I think we all need to coordinate to show up at the same signing. And what an insight on the women's clinic - inside and out. Great stuff.

Lisa McGlaun said...

Lisa,

Thanks. I debated about including my experience at the Women's Clinic. It's not something I share very often. I'm glad I decided to include it because it was an important life experience and certainly shaped the person I am today.

Yes! Let's all get together!

Hugs,
Lisa

Anonymous said...

Better late than never? I finally got around to posting my meme. It's not as profound as yours. Thanks for including me! Here it is: http://stellarself.typepad.com/becoming_your_stellarself/2007/10/meme-ing-about-.html

Lisa McGlaun said...

Mary,

Cool! I'm going to read it now. Thanks for participating.

Peace,
Lisa

Anonymous said...

Hi Lisa. Thanks for your comment! I've added another pic to my post for your amusement :)