I am always telling people what I am good at, what skills I have, and what accomplishments I have made, especially now that I have a “professional job.” Seldom, however, does anyone get to hear about the real stuff. Though I strive to do work I am passionate about, I feel as though my job does not define me. Most individuals have not been privy to any other side of me. So, who is Brittany? What is Brittany outside of Wayne State University? What makes Brittany who she is today? Let’s talk about some things you do not know about me!
Two of my toes are conjoined!
Yes, it is true. This is the elephant in the room, believe it or not. On my left foot, my “pinky toe” and “ring toe” are connected — or as they are commonly referenced — “webbed.” As insignificant as this may seem, I feel as though it is an insecurity I need to shed. I must say, I am glad you know now. I want to go back to my nail shop and get a pedicure without feeling like an alien!
I have a half-brother!
Most people do not know this about me. Although I have never thought of him as anything less than a full-blood brother, my brother has a different mother than my sister and me. He lived with us on and off until he was 18 years old, and then moved away to Kentucky after graduating high school. He resides there now, and I rarely see him now that we are both self-sustaining adults.
My father passed away when I was 15 years old.
A year or so before his death, my father announced to his family that he had cancer. It was a type of cancer called Multiple Myeloma — affecting plasma cells within the bone marrow. Initial treatments worked, curing my father’s cancer; however, a few months after catching pneumonia, my father passed away peacefully with his family at his bedside. As one of my life’s most terrific struggles, his passing continues to affect me even today.
I used to tip the scales at 313 lbs!!
I still have much weight to lose today, but just two short years ago, I weighed in at over 313 pounds! Because of this, I often walked around in sweatpants and hoodies– with the hood up– to create a protective barrier for myself. I would not go anywhere without my hoodie! Rain or shine, I wore my hoodie. When I first started going to a public gym, I wore my hoodie, because I did not want strangers to see my love handles jumping everywhere! It was out of hand. Revealing my neck, shoulders, and arms was not a reality for me two years ago. Today, I expose those areas without thinking twice about it!
I am a huge gamer!
I have owned every single PlayStation game system!! I love Grand Theft Auto V, all Tekken games, Soul Caliber, Crash Bandicoot, the Uncharted series, the Driver series, The Italian Job, Midnight Club, Resident Evil, Red Dead Redemption, Tomb Raider, Heavy Rain, the Batman games, The Sims, the Call of Duty games– the list literally goes on and on! When I was younger and had just gotten a new video game, I would sit on the living room couch and hog the television playing my video games for hours at a time! I used to spend an entire day playing my video games effortlessly. I have never been into online games, Xbox games, or PC games, though!
I fell on my head during my elementary school talent show!
This ignited my anxiety and insecurities. As a bigger kid, I was very nervous about the idea of dancing on stage in front of my whole school. Somehow, I managed to conquer this fear just in time for my school’s talent show. My sister, her friend, and I decided to do a pom-pom cheer and dance bit for the show. During the school “matinée” (which was the during-school preview of the talent show which would happen again for parents later that night), I attempted a cart-wheel, pom-pom still in hand. The pom-pom slid from under my hand (mid-cart-wheel) and sent me crashing onto the stage head first. The good news: I survived. The bad news: I may never grace the stage again.
I am a huge Def Leppard and Phil Collins fan (but aren’t we all?)
When I used to work at Dollar General, the only radio station my store manager would allow us to listen to was 100.3. During my time there, I discovered two or three Def Leppard songs that I instantly fell in love with! Even after I left, I was determined to find more of their music, and as I am sure you can understand, the library has grown since then! Def Leppard’s “Animal” and “Armageddon” are two of my favorite gym songs, and Phil Collins’s “Don’t Lose My Number” has an unbeatable spunky vibe– great for dancing!
I am hilarious!!!
Some people may know this, but not nearly enough people, and that is my fault. I have always been a shy and reserved person, but over the years, as life has “happened” and certain events have occurred, I have become even more of a recluse. I hate too much spotlight, as well as confrontation, so usually, I keep to myself to make sure I have my image and temper in check. But I am a complete goof! Sometimes it is hard to tell that I am only 23 years old since I act much more mature than many of that age, but I am still a kid at heart! I crack constant jokes! When I am with friends and family, our teasing and self-deprecating senses of humor take over and typically result in an awesome time!
I participated in cheer, gymnastics, and floor hockey sports!
Surely I’ve caught everyone off guard with that one! Yes, when I was elementary school age, I participated in several community sports programs. Please do not ask me why I did not stick with it — I have no idea. I had early ambitions of playing soccer in high school and becoming a dancer, none of which materialized. Dreaming, though, is good.
I nearly lost an ear.
Let me explain. When I was younger, I had this knack for bouncing on my parents’ bed. I would jump on the bed, and jump off onto a pile of pillows and blankets. It was my turn to shine; I climbed atop the bed, began bouncing, lost my balance, and crashed right into my mother’s nightstand. It was painful. I got up, in tears, to find out that my right ear was bleeding profusely and partially detached from my head. Boy, was that an experience. Surprisingly, my ear healed up without the need for stitches!
I have a crippling fear of emergency rooms!
I wish I were kidding about this one. One trip to the ER ruined my perception of the emergency room forever. In short, I was in an emergency room lobby, waiting anxiously for a family member to get checked in for some issues she was having. In strolled a man who was crying and shrieking in pain, and vomiting periodically into a small bag. He was suffering from a kidney stone. No visit to the emergency room has been easy for me since this night. Luckily, I am seldom in the emergency room!
Music is my sanctuary.
This one should not have been too difficult to guess. Anytime you see me, where it is appropriate, I always have my Airpods in. I love music. I listen to all kinds of music, from R&B to Electronic. My favorite styles of music are Pop and Alternative. Any song with beautiful music or a strong ballad captures my attention. Right now, one of my favorite artists is a singer named Banks. Her songs “This Is What It Feels Like” and “Gemini Feed” are some of the most amazing songs I have ever heard. Banks is the whole deal: she provides good music and a powerful, evoking message. I also love the band Disclosure, an electronic duo formed of two brothers from England. Their songs “Omen” and “Molecules” are very catchy and intriguing. And let’s not forget about Coldplay — their work speaks for itself!
I am sure there are at least one million other things no one knows about me, but for the sake of time, I will save those for another day. So when you see me in passing, sharing memes on social media, or kicking butt at the gym, do not be afraid to start a conversation with me! I may have a dreadfully serious resting expression, but I promise there is much more to be discovered underneath!
Header photo courtesy of https://rhenen.d66.nl/mensen/hugo-van-kooten/profile-clipart-mystery-person-12/
