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: Reposted from Facebook: 15 Random Things About Me
I'm breaking down and posting this MEME, hoping it'll distract me from a bad day. I'm going to skip some things everyone knows about me (ex: I love fast food) for things you might not, in the hope of making it a bit more readable.
1. I was almost a writer instead of a musician. While I'm extremely proud of the music I've written and recorded, and I think that's definitely where my greatest god-given strength is, I probably SHOULD have become a writer for the sake of my overall well-being. I'd have a more useful college degree (BA instead of a BM!), more potential for a career that pays, and more opportunities for success in general. My parents both warned me about getting a degree in music, but I wouldn't listen. Stupid teenagers.
2. When I think about what I will do if/when I get laid off in this bad economy (I live in Detroit and work for an advertising agency tied exclusively to Chrysler), my immediate thought is that I'm fairly screwed for employment. My job type (Broadcast Producer) is very specific, and there just aren't jobs to replace the one I have. So, I'd probably become a stay-at-home dad and try and pick up some kind of managerial retail job at night. Not sure we could survive like that, but if it happens, I guess we'll find out.
3. If I had the time, credentials, and consequence-free environment to try any other career, I've often considered high school teacher, politician (fine idea 'til the person running against me for office distributes the lyrics to my last album), and most often, small business owner. I have several retail store ideas, my favorite of which is a store that sells nothing but rare/imported junk food/candy/soda. The ultimate unique party store. (Example: We'd stock 7-Up cola from Poland, Apple Juice Soda from Mexico, all the European Cadbury candy bars, Canada's Poutine or Ketchup flavored potato chips, etc.)
4. For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to grow up and have two daughters. Though she's been struggling with health problems since birth, I'm already blessed with one daughter, Zoe (almost 8 months old now). My wife, Sara, has never really been into the idea of a 2nd child. And really, I don't blame her at this point. Her pregnancy was constantly painful and awful in general, and with all that's happened with Zoe's health since her birth, having another child is almost incomprehensible right now (emotionally and financially). Still, I can't help thinking about having another someday. Maybe things will look different to both of us in a few years.
5. Unbeknownst to anyone but a couple of the people that are closest to me, I suffer from two medical conditions that cause me constant pain and distress. These are conditions beyond the regular conditions that most of my friends already know about (like allergies and asthma). They are both publicly unacceptable to discuss (no, I don't have AIDS or anything - I'm not dying), so I don't discuss them, but they are a source of much additional stress in my life. (And also, no, they are absolutely not related to Zoe's problems in any way. We've checked, checked, and checked again. No connection.)
6. I think the thing I miss most about our lives before Zoe got sick is the ease with which we used to laugh. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade Zoe for anything, but I do wish Sara and I could find a way to get back into our old mental state. We used to generate pop culture references and ideas for new movies (remember Vampires vs Zombies, Sara?) constantly, and generally just kept ourselves laughing through life with relative ease. We still do that, once in a great while, but it's rare, and now perhaps it's even burdened by guilt... the notion that somehow, if you're thinking about Vampires vs. Zombies, your attention is not focused where it should be and you're a bad person. Even though we both know it's not as cut-and-dry as all that, and we know people need to find a way to laugh even in the worst situations, it's still hard to convince yourself deep down.
7. I tell people that I don't wear contact lenses because I can't stick my fingers in my eyes (it was tough for me) or because of my allergies (it was a concern), but the real reason is that my glasses have become a life-long safety blanket, a social shield, and I don't know who I am without them. Hell, now that I think about it, I bet you don't know who I am without them either! ;-)
8. I regret using my real name for my last two albums (Duchess 33 and Perversions). I don't regret the albums - I'm quite proud of them, actually - just that I used my real name. I think it would have worked out better if I'd come up with yet another Pseudonym to publish those under. As it stands now, the music I'm currently composing fits better with the Cosmicity sound, so I'll be going back to that here in 2009. But does that mean it's any less me... less "Mark Nicholas"? Not at all... if anything, it's more me than ever, with ridiculously personal lyrics. So, I guess I kinda just wish I had put those 2 albums out under a name like Yticimsoc. (Only KMFDM fans will really get that joke.)
9. If I ever do take the time to try writing, as I've been threatening to do for over a decade, the biggest challenge I will face will be which script idea to attempt first. I have tons. I'll probably go for a relationship movie first, though, since that's always been my lyrical bread and butter and I've got a lot of comfort with that. Plus, I think writing believable, conversational dialogue is my strength. Well, I mean, I'd HAVE to write the Vampires vs. Zombies movie with Sara first, THEN a romcom.
10. I absolutely love romcoms. When it comes to movies, I'm somewhere between a basement-dwelling, dorito-chomping sci-fi geek and a teenage girl. I seriously LOVE cheesy romcoms. You name it, I've watched it. And Sara hates them. Passionately. She groaned through every second of Music and Lyrics, and I gobbled it up. (Watched it again recently.) Yes, I know these are generally not top-notch films, and I certainly wouldn't model any screenplay I'd attempt to write after one of these movies, but they make me feel happy, and that's hard to beat, right? (I WOULD, however, model my screenplay after a relationship movie like Before Sunrise. No shame there.)
11. Socially, the best time in my life was high school. Most people will tell you that college was the best, but for me it was high school, without question. When I was in high school, I had the time to really nurture friendships and generate social activities. And when you invest a lot of time in friends, it pays off. I had lots of great friends that offered seemingly endless support... and I had SO MUCH fun. That might be due in part to the fact that I was often in charge of creating our social outings, so I could customize them to my liking, but I think even more than that was the level of closeness I felt with my friends then. I'd be hard-pressed to point to any friends in my life now that I'm close to the way I was with them. Sara (my wife) is the only one I truly talk with that freely now. (There are a couple of others in my life that I still open up to, but again, not at the same depth that I used to.) I deeply regret that. I regret losing closeness with those friends very much, yes, but also the friends I've made since. I had a few great friends in college, and though they're on my Facebook friends list now , they're not friends like they were. I regret that. I've had a couple more since college that I've let slip away. I regret that too. Someday soon, I hope to have the time to start turning that around. I've lost my social skills, but with practice, I think I could find them again. I know it'd be worth it. I remember what it was like.
12. Even though I had my dog Schmee for 12 years - since she was just a tiny puppy, Sara (who's only known Schmee for maybe 7 years) has expressed far more sadness at her loss than I have. Don't get me wrong: I miss her very much. She was the best. I cried uncontrollably after she passed and the whole car ride home. But since then I've been able to compartmentalize it, I guess, so I've been doing pretty okay. Sara, on the other hand, cries every time Schmee is missing from an activity she used to enjoy (like dropped crumbs in the kitchen or jumping into bed at night.) I guess I just have that guy ability to turn it off when I need to. That kinda makes me sad. Still, I think this also speaks volumes about Sara that people probably don't know... just how incredibly sensitive she is underneath the shield she wears day-to-day. She really really is.
13. I hate getting my hair cut, but I love having freshly cut hair. It's really the process I hate... I don't like having someone touching me like that for whatever reason. I feel the same way about massage. I would never go for a massage. It would not be relaxing for me at all. Not one bit. BUT! If I know someone, I feel kinda the opposite. I'm certainly fine with massages from Sara and stuff. And I actually wish there was more physical contact with friends and co-workers (not dirty - get your minds out of the gutters). I think I'm actually a person who likes to hug but doesn't have the guts to start that ritual up. But yeah, I wish I was more of a hug person with my friends and stuff.
14. Though I am known for loving junk food and fast food (I REALLLY do love that stuff), when I was single, my favorite meals were generally far healthier. I used to sometimes eat pistachios, peas and rice for dinner, and many variations on that theme. Carrots and peanut butter... all kinds of odd but healthy things that don't actually sound like a meal. I really love to snack, and I had essentially figured out a way to snack until I was full while still getting a decent balance of food. Far more balanced than I eat now, actually. Gotta figure out a way to turn that thinking into proper meals for my family so we can get back on track somehow.
15. The most important thing I've accomplished with my life so far is probably writing the song "Crucify". I didn't really realize it until somewhat recently, but this song was pivotal. It is the song that led me to my wife. She heard it, then became a fan of my music, played some of it in her club, which eventually led me to her when I saw my music on one of her playlists and then brought her a new single I was working on. It is also the only song I've ever written that has directly changed someone else's life. I had a guy write me years ago to tell me that he and his wife had their first kiss listening to this song, and eventually it was played for the first dance at their wedding. It was the first song I ever published on a real record label. It was the song that established the musical direction that I've been on for the rest of my life. Everything I wrote before then I kinda consider part of a learning curve. But "Crucify" marked my arrival as a skilled songwriter. And finally, it is the song that has best stood the test of time. I've recently been posting all of the "fan favorite" Cosmicity songs on the competitive website thesixtyone.com . (Basically, listeners vote for the songs they like.) "Crucify" has been far-and-away the favorite Cosmicity song, receiving tons more votes than anything else I've ever posted, even though it is now 12 years old and up against many other songs of mine, some recorded as recently as 2 years ago.
That's it. If you actually read all of this, well, thanks for caring enough to plow through it all. I appreciate it. :-)
Tags: 15 things, facebook, sara, zoe
I'm breaking down and posting this MEME, hoping it'll distract me from a bad day. I'm going to skip some things everyone knows about me (ex: I love fast food) for things you might not, in the hope of making it a bit more readable.
1. I was almost a writer instead of a musician. While I'm extremely proud of the music I've written and recorded, and I think that's definitely where my greatest god-given strength is, I probably SHOULD have become a writer for the sake of my overall well-being. I'd have a more useful college degree (BA instead of a BM!), more potential for a career that pays, and more opportunities for success in general. My parents both warned me about getting a degree in music, but I wouldn't listen. Stupid teenagers.
2. When I think about what I will do if/when I get laid off in this bad economy (I live in Detroit and work for an advertising agency tied exclusively to Chrysler), my immediate thought is that I'm fairly screwed for employment. My job type (Broadcast Producer) is very specific, and there just aren't jobs to replace the one I have. So, I'd probably become a stay-at-home dad and try and pick up some kind of managerial retail job at night. Not sure we could survive like that, but if it happens, I guess we'll find out.
3. If I had the time, credentials, and consequence-free environment to try any other career, I've often considered high school teacher, politician (fine idea 'til the person running against me for office distributes the lyrics to my last album), and most often, small business owner. I have several retail store ideas, my favorite of which is a store that sells nothing but rare/imported junk food/candy/soda. The ultimate unique party store. (Example: We'd stock 7-Up cola from Poland, Apple Juice Soda from Mexico, all the European Cadbury candy bars, Canada's Poutine or Ketchup flavored potato chips, etc.)
4. For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to grow up and have two daughters. Though she's been struggling with health problems since birth, I'm already blessed with one daughter, Zoe (almost 8 months old now). My wife, Sara, has never really been into the idea of a 2nd child. And really, I don't blame her at this point. Her pregnancy was constantly painful and awful in general, and with all that's happened with Zoe's health since her birth, having another child is almost incomprehensible right now (emotionally and financially). Still, I can't help thinking about having another someday. Maybe things will look different to both of us in a few years.
5. Unbeknownst to anyone but a couple of the people that are closest to me, I suffer from two medical conditions that cause me constant pain and distress. These are conditions beyond the regular conditions that most of my friends already know about (like allergies and asthma). They are both publicly unacceptable to discuss (no, I don't have AIDS or anything - I'm not dying), so I don't discuss them, but they are a source of much additional stress in my life. (And also, no, they are absolutely not related to Zoe's problems in any way. We've checked, checked, and checked again. No connection.)
6. I think the thing I miss most about our lives before Zoe got sick is the ease with which we used to laugh. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade Zoe for anything, but I do wish Sara and I could find a way to get back into our old mental state. We used to generate pop culture references and ideas for new movies (remember Vampires vs Zombies, Sara?) constantly, and generally just kept ourselves laughing through life with relative ease. We still do that, once in a great while, but it's rare, and now perhaps it's even burdened by guilt... the notion that somehow, if you're thinking about Vampires vs. Zombies, your attention is not focused where it should be and you're a bad person. Even though we both know it's not as cut-and-dry as all that, and we know people need to find a way to laugh even in the worst situations, it's still hard to convince yourself deep down.
7. I tell people that I don't wear contact lenses because I can't stick my fingers in my eyes (it was tough for me) or because of my allergies (it was a concern), but the real reason is that my glasses have become a life-long safety blanket, a social shield, and I don't know who I am without them. Hell, now that I think about it, I bet you don't know who I am without them either! ;-)
8. I regret using my real name for my last two albums (Duchess 33 and Perversions). I don't regret the albums - I'm quite proud of them, actually - just that I used my real name. I think it would have worked out better if I'd come up with yet another Pseudonym to publish those under. As it stands now, the music I'm currently composing fits better with the Cosmicity sound, so I'll be going back to that here in 2009. But does that mean it's any less me... less "Mark Nicholas"? Not at all... if anything, it's more me than ever, with ridiculously personal lyrics. So, I guess I kinda just wish I had put those 2 albums out under a name like Yticimsoc. (Only KMFDM fans will really get that joke.)
9. If I ever do take the time to try writing, as I've been threatening to do for over a decade, the biggest challenge I will face will be which script idea to attempt first. I have tons. I'll probably go for a relationship movie first, though, since that's always been my lyrical bread and butter and I've got a lot of comfort with that. Plus, I think writing believable, conversational dialogue is my strength. Well, I mean, I'd HAVE to write the Vampires vs. Zombies movie with Sara first, THEN a romcom.
10. I absolutely love romcoms. When it comes to movies, I'm somewhere between a basement-dwelling, dorito-chomping sci-fi geek and a teenage girl. I seriously LOVE cheesy romcoms. You name it, I've watched it. And Sara hates them. Passionately. She groaned through every second of Music and Lyrics, and I gobbled it up. (Watched it again recently.) Yes, I know these are generally not top-notch films, and I certainly wouldn't model any screenplay I'd attempt to write after one of these movies, but they make me feel happy, and that's hard to beat, right? (I WOULD, however, model my screenplay after a relationship movie like Before Sunrise. No shame there.)
11. Socially, the best time in my life was high school. Most people will tell you that college was the best, but for me it was high school, without question. When I was in high school, I had the time to really nurture friendships and generate social activities. And when you invest a lot of time in friends, it pays off. I had lots of great friends that offered seemingly endless support... and I had SO MUCH fun. That might be due in part to the fact that I was often in charge of creating our social outings, so I could customize them to my liking, but I think even more than that was the level of closeness I felt with my friends then. I'd be hard-pressed to point to any friends in my life now that I'm close to the way I was with them. Sara (my wife) is the only one I truly talk with that freely now. (There are a couple of others in my life that I still open up to, but again, not at the same depth that I used to.) I deeply regret that. I regret losing closeness with those friends very much, yes, but also the friends I've made since. I had a few great friends in college, and though they're on my Facebook friends list now , they're not friends like they were. I regret that. I've had a couple more since college that I've let slip away. I regret that too. Someday soon, I hope to have the time to start turning that around. I've lost my social skills, but with practice, I think I could find them again. I know it'd be worth it. I remember what it was like.
12. Even though I had my dog Schmee for 12 years - since she was just a tiny puppy, Sara (who's only known Schmee for maybe 7 years) has expressed far more sadness at her loss than I have. Don't get me wrong: I miss her very much. She was the best. I cried uncontrollably after she passed and the whole car ride home. But since then I've been able to compartmentalize it, I guess, so I've been doing pretty okay. Sara, on the other hand, cries every time Schmee is missing from an activity she used to enjoy (like dropped crumbs in the kitchen or jumping into bed at night.) I guess I just have that guy ability to turn it off when I need to. That kinda makes me sad. Still, I think this also speaks volumes about Sara that people probably don't know... just how incredibly sensitive she is underneath the shield she wears day-to-day. She really really is.
13. I hate getting my hair cut, but I love having freshly cut hair. It's really the process I hate... I don't like having someone touching me like that for whatever reason. I feel the same way about massage. I would never go for a massage. It would not be relaxing for me at all. Not one bit. BUT! If I know someone, I feel kinda the opposite. I'm certainly fine with massages from Sara and stuff. And I actually wish there was more physical contact with friends and co-workers (not dirty - get your minds out of the gutters). I think I'm actually a person who likes to hug but doesn't have the guts to start that ritual up. But yeah, I wish I was more of a hug person with my friends and stuff.
14. Though I am known for loving junk food and fast food (I REALLLY do love that stuff), when I was single, my favorite meals were generally far healthier. I used to sometimes eat pistachios, peas and rice for dinner, and many variations on that theme. Carrots and peanut butter... all kinds of odd but healthy things that don't actually sound like a meal. I really love to snack, and I had essentially figured out a way to snack until I was full while still getting a decent balance of food. Far more balanced than I eat now, actually. Gotta figure out a way to turn that thinking into proper meals for my family so we can get back on track somehow.
15. The most important thing I've accomplished with my life so far is probably writing the song "Crucify". I didn't really realize it until somewhat recently, but this song was pivotal. It is the song that led me to my wife. She heard it, then became a fan of my music, played some of it in her club, which eventually led me to her when I saw my music on one of her playlists and then brought her a new single I was working on. It is also the only song I've ever written that has directly changed someone else's life. I had a guy write me years ago to tell me that he and his wife had their first kiss listening to this song, and eventually it was played for the first dance at their wedding. It was the first song I ever published on a real record label. It was the song that established the musical direction that I've been on for the rest of my life. Everything I wrote before then I kinda consider part of a learning curve. But "Crucify" marked my arrival as a skilled songwriter. And finally, it is the song that has best stood the test of time. I've recently been posting all of the "fan favorite" Cosmicity songs on the competitive website thesixtyone.com . (Basically, listeners vote for the songs they like.) "Crucify" has been far-and-away the favorite Cosmicity song, receiving tons more votes than anything else I've ever posted, even though it is now 12 years old and up against many other songs of mine, some recorded as recently as 2 years ago.
That's it. If you actually read all of this, well, thanks for caring enough to plow through it all. I appreciate it. :-)
Tags: 15 things, facebook, sara, zoe