The Whole "25 Things about..." Shindig

Ok, so here's to jumping on the whole "25 random things..." bandwagon:

1. Brock wonders what this says about our culture, about human sociality, about personhood that people will find out these 25 things about him on a blog/facebook rather than in a real life conversation.

2. The first time he finally got the courage to drive a stick shift (the same car he still has by the way, 8 years later!) it was on the way to youth group on a Wednesday night. At one light he stalled the car some 8-10 times (he lost track after being stuck at the same intersection for three stop lights). Then on the way home, with his brothers and a younger cousin in the car, he ran over an opossum (which, seconds before, looked straight at his car), because he had no idea what else to do.

3. He loves using parenthetical phrases in his writing (as if #2 didn't already demonstrate that point).

4. He secretly (until now) mourns the fact that he was prevented by his parents from listening to any music growing up that wasn't "Christian." Many have told him, however, that he didn't miss out on much.

5. Brock used to be a Bible study fiend. Seriously. Throughout high school and college, he would write entire commentaries (we're talking 100+ pages) on books of the Bible for his personal devotions, quoting other commentaries, studying the original language, and the whole nine yards. He has kept these commentaries (which his wife has, at times, tried to throw away) which include studies on Judges, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Hosea, Zechariah, Matthew, 1&2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1& Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, and James. He used to have pompous visions that someday he would become a famous author in the Christian world (now, he's just shooting for "author" and of a different genre).

6. When he gets tired, he tends to get very emotional, and any question that appears remotely complicated or any remotely difficult circumstance will make him cry (he about had a mental breakdown last Sunday at the grocery store when his wife asked him to pick out a couple salad dressings).

7. He has had the same style cell phone for over three years.

8. During high school, Brock once worked at Lake Ann Baptist Camp in Traverse City, MI as "support staff" (aka janitor). An entire summer of cleaning toilets and emptying trash barrels (well, at least it builds character, right?). It wasn't so bad until the infamous "week of the yammy." Some parent let their kid come to camp even though he had the flu... and he gave it to everyone else. The camp had to quarantine 130 of the kids (and some counselors) into certain cabins. Yammy was everywhere. Then, one night, all the other campers were made to sleep outside in their sleeping bags, and Brock and the rest of the support staff team "quat-cleaned" every nook and cranny of the campgrounds using those weed killer sprayers.

9. Brock is the second oldest of five boys, all with names starting with "Br." Although, its a bit controversial, since his older brother is adopted, he considers himself the "firstborn" (and besides, all those birth order explanations are all messed up when one sibling is
adopted anyways).

10. On his high school choir trip to England, he was kissed in a bar by a drunk woman (it was a fellow choir member, but he doubts she remembers it).

11. As he writes this, Brock doubts he will have any good information left about himself to use for the game "two truths and a lie" with his friends.

12. Brock, his older brother, and a couple of his friends, were once being hunted by the local and county police in Lafayette, IN... for drive by shootings.... with cap guns (true story). His parents were not all that happy. He had to do a lot of cleaning around the house that summer.

13. In 7th grade, Brock rode his bicycle to school... 8.5 miles... without telling his parents... at 6:30AM. It was one of the only times he was ever early to school in his childhood. When he got to school, there was a sign posted on the door: "Brock, call your mom." All the teachers and parents thought he was going to be in REAL big trouble. Thankfully, he only had to apologize to his brothers for being a bad example.

14. Brock was a catcher for 8 years. He has bad knees as a result of it.

15. He didn't have a curfew until he went to college. Dumb Christian school....

16. Brock is pretty sure he'll never have a "most favorite" movie, song, band, book, etc. Can one really think about all the things they've ever watched or heard or listened to and make an accurate assessment of such things?

17. Brock has over 40 cousins on his dad's side of the family. He has two on the other side.

18. He's had a number of jobs over the years: Burger King, chauffeur (in high school, his mom paid him to drive his brothers around), janitor, camp counselor, landscape architect, church intern, a number of positions in vocational ministry, RA in college, library assistant, a secretary at Duquesne, and now an editor. In many ways, what he does now is his favorite job so far.

19. Brock is learning to cook. Most of the time, he is the "prep" cook for when his wife makes things, but now there are a number of things his wife defers to him to make including French Toast and Shrimp Etoufee.

20. He still brings PBJ for lunch sometimes - and likes it.

21. Brock has written over 40 songs that he (perhaps delusionally) hopes will someday be recorded.

22. The first occupation he wanted to have when he was a kid was a pediatrician.

23. Brock likes it when its cold outside (but not too cold) because he loves to wear sweaters. Fall is probably his favorite season.

24. Brock is an addicted LOST watcher. He has even posted comments on the Lost.com forum.

25. For Brock, each day is a crisis of faith. Perhaps, one day he'll have an idea of what to believe.