List of Good Things About Me

My experiences within the Spring 1997 CCC production of "Romeo and Juliet" were mostly a big low for me. The following is a list that I began writing, backstage during a performance, to cheer myself up. Heidi and Jeff later got a hold of the sheet that evening and wrote some things themselves. Then, on a later day, Jeff got me to show the list to Michelle, who wrote even more things. The result is a two-sided sheet listing 31 "good" things about me. I've posted this list here to show you A) good qualities about me, and B) what good qualities other people have found in me.

The following was written by me on March 11:

1. During my senior year [at East High School], I made sure that there was one newsletter for every week the Art Club had a meeting.
2. My senior yearbook staff considered my pictures the best in the whole book.
3. I've never cheated on a girlfriend.
4. I recycle my unused computer paper.
[NOTE: It later turned out that my Dad was just plain throwing it away.]
5. I won $75 during a 1996 literary contest (more $ than the other winners, I believe).
6. People DO find me attractive, and I've been told it to my face.
[NOTE: During my then-recent Phi Theta Kappa community service at an Arnot Mall science fair, I conversed with several junior high school girls. One 13-year-old girl said that, despite my own opinions, I was attractive. You'll hear more references to this incident later in the list.]
7. I've never forced a woman into having sex.
8. I've never been in prison.
9. I practice safe sex.
10. I've never driven a person into committing suicide.

This is what Heidi wrote, as me (same day):

11. I am kind & loving, not enough people are like that.
12. I am non-judgemental.
13. I am extremely artistic.
14. I am an excellent actor.
15. I am a good writer.
16. I pick my nose really well.
17. I have stinky armpits (just kidding). Actually, I smell like roses.

This is what Jeff wrote, as me (same day):

18. I have a really small ass!
19. I'm not fat!
20. I don't have any STD's.
21. I'm highly skilled at self-pleasure.
22. I know everything about the Beatles.
23. I'm not embarrassed easily.
24. I'm literate.

And these are good things that Michelle wrote about me on March 12:

25. You have really big feet.
26. You have a great singing voice.
27. You still have hair.
28. 13-year-olds find him attractive.
29. Gay men don't find him attractive.
30. You don't pierce your genital area.
31. You don't masterbate in public.

In late December, I met Emer Smith during rehearsals for "A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio" in Elmira. I introduced her to my homepage, on which she read this list.
She said the list was "great and amusing," but also noted, "Your friends have sick minds."
On December 30, she sent me this list of additional good things about me:

32. You talk to people you don't know (that takes guts).
33. You can do all these different voices (like Ed Rollands and Raymond).
[NOTE: I didn't play Raymond, but I read his lines during the audition.]
34. You showed kindness to a poor little high school girl who only knew a marginal amount of people at play practice.
35. You walked to ["Golden Age"] play practice from the Clemens Center in the freezing cold and didn't complain.
[NOTE: I had just finished a performance of "The Russian Nutcracker" at the Clemens Center earlier that day, and decided to walk to the ELT building.]
36. You have pretty eyes (I find that great).
37. You can write in iambic pentameter that Shakespeare used and it's HARD to do that!
38. You're willing to give out your phone number to a person you only knew for about two hours (you never know, I could have been psycho).
39. You're REALLY nice!!!
40. You appreciate the good bands from the old days.
41. You have guts to go onstage and do everything (not a lot of people can do that).

Well, that's the list. If you know me, and you want to add several more good comments about me to the list, feel free to e-mail me at dasjr@hotmail.com, and I'll add it as soon as I can. After all, I'm not one to turn away flattery. ;-)