Meme Virgin

I read a lot of blogs. My Bloglines account is bursting at the seams with the number of subscriptions I have to various and sundry blogs - none of which include important or serious topics such as politics or business. From greyhounds to knitting and quilting, my blog addition provides two essentials for me: a sense of community and inspiration.

One interesting phenomenon that happens on every blog that I read, no matter the topic, is the meme. I had no idea what a meme was at first and until 10 minutes ago, with a little help from my friends at Wikipedia, I had no idea where the word came from. Here's what they say:

"A meme (pronounced /miːm/) is any learned feeling, thought or behavior. Examples include thoughts, ideas, theories, practices, habits, songs, dances and (controversially) moods. Memes propagate themselves and can move through the cultural sociosphere in a manner similar to the contagious behavior of a virus."

I've never been tagged for a meme. Most memes are about the author, not about their subjects and most of us greyhound bloggers, prefer to write about our dogs - not ourselves. But Denise tagged me for my first meme entitled, Six Unknown Things About You and unknowingly took my meme virginity.

Six Unknown Things About Me

1. I've Been to 49 of the 50 States: when I was 5 years old, my family drove from Georgia to Oregon, and back, on a six-week adventure where I got to see most of this country. Other family trips during my childhood allowed me to see most of the rest. Thanks to my husband and a couple of girl friends in New England I was able to check the rest off in the last few years. Kev and I are planning a cruise to Alaska in the next two years to make my list complete.
2. I Skinny Dip Regularly: well, it's in my own pool, but I find myself wanting to take a dip and really don't feel like going inside to find a suit. So, I just grab a towel, strip down and jump in. There's no doubt in my mind that my 60 year old, grumpy neighbor has caught an eye full, but if he has, he hasn't changed the way he treats me. So much for my womanly ways.
   
3. I Know More about Sports than Most Men: according to Kev, I scare most men with my knowledge of sports (football, basketball, and baseball). But I'm not one to play dumb in a social situation, so when I'm in a business meeting with a bunch of know-it-all men, I have to temper what I say - mention just enough to let the guys at the table know that I can easily keep up with them, but not so much that I make them feel dumb - which they all are. Oh, but let's be clear - I have no coordination, and I have never played a sport in my entire life. I guess you'd classify me as an athletic supporter.
   
4. I Love Reality TV: the trashier the better. Big Brother. America's Next Top Model. Survivor. Intervention. Locked Up Abroad. Deadliest Catch. Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire? You name it, I watch it and I LOVE IT.
5. I Wanted to Be Crystal Gayle when I was Young: and really, who didn't? I grew my hair as long as I could until I was in the 6th grade. I really loved this picture of her that was on the inside of my favorite Crystal Gayle tape, of which I wore out singing, Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue at the top of my lungs much to the dismay of my parents and sister.

So now for the viral part of the meme: tagging other bloggers to keep it alive. So I choose to tag Patti, Zan, Amy, and Christie (who was Roxy's foster mom). Share your secrets with the world! Don't let the meme die!