At my current company, on the first day of rehearsal, we all go around the room and introduce ourselves, and are asked to say our name, position, how long we’ve been with the company, and one “fun fact” about ourselves. (For the record the first few answers: Diane, [Assistant] Stage Manager, since 2003.) The last time we did this, I was struck with a bit of panic over the fun fact, and ended up saying, “I have three kids and a very supportive Husband.” Kids and pets seem to be a popular topic for people’s “fun fact”. But… I don’t love the idea of my fun fact being that I have three kids. While I’m all for visibly parenting in the workplace, but it’s not the first bit of information I like to offer up. Also I struggle with identifying myself as a “mother” – one of those existential questions I have for myself in moments when I have the luxury of existential thinking.
Ironically, when I’m in a non-work environment, my fun fact often is “I’m an opera stage manager.” People seem to be really fascinated by this. However, when I’m at work, it’s not really a usable fun fact.
Anyhow, after that particular first day of rehearsal, I had this text exchange with my Husband.
Hmmmm…
Well, in an effort that my fun fact not be that I have three kids, I’ve decided to brainstorm a couple more to have on hand:
1. “Diane” is not actually the name on my birth certificate.
2. I broke the County triple jump record in my age group when I was in grade six
3. I eat almost anything except watermelon Jolly Ranchers
4. I can shuck an oyster with a butter knife
5. I have a twenty year old sourdough starter named Seymour.
6. When I was ten, I fell out of a tree and broke my right arm. As I was right handed I thought I would get out of doing school work. My parents just made me learn to write with my left hand.
7. I was one of only three Asian kids in my elementary school. The other two were a boy in my class named Preetam Sengupta and my brother.
8. I met the Husband at a contradance.
9. I still use my red L.L. Bean backpack from college.
10. In high school, there was one of those fundraisers on Valentine’s day where you could take a quiz and a computer would match you up with classmate. (Also what an awkward idea!). I was matched with my brother. He ate my match form.
11. I played varsity badminton in high school.
12. The first romance novel I ever read was called Champagne and Roses, snuck off my parent’s bookshelf. It was about this middle aged mother whose husband leaves her for his secretary so she starts a catering business and ends up with a hot French guy. (okay, this one might not be one I share at work)
13. I have six toenails on each foot.
14. I was born in Nova Scotia. Yes, I’m a Canadian. Except my passport is expired… so am I still?
15. In college, I hosted a classical music radio program at 5am on Wednesday mornings.
16. We were once investigated by Child Welfare Services. (Okay, this might also not be one suitable for work.)
17. I have a very large bass case. No bass, just the case. No I don’t play the bass.
18. I have eaten mongoose on a mountainside restaurant in Taiwan.
19. During the pandemic, I pumped and donated 657 ounces of breastmilk to the King’s Daughter’s Milk Bank.
20. My favorite number is 17 in French. I just like how it sounds.
That was actually quite a struggle. Maybe I have more in me somewhere. Or maybe I need to create more fun facts in my life. I have been wanting to learn how to juggle….
What is your go to fun fact about yourself?
I LOVE posts like this.
“My fun fact often is “I’m an opera stage manager.” People seem to be really fascinated by this. However, when I’m at work, it’s not really a usable fun fact.” This is hilarious but so true. I find the fact that you’re an opera stage manager VERY fascinating, but I can see that might fall flat at your work.
I don’t think I knew you were BORN in Nova Scotia (I was born in NB, but have lived in NS for the majority of my life). Cape Breton, right?
That is hilarious (and I’m sure deeply embarrassing) that you were matched WITH YOUR BROTHER.
Six toenails? Do you have six toes, or a double nail? I’m curious/confused.
I have never tried to shuck an oyster with…anything. But I suspect I wouldn’t be good at it.
Do you still write with your left hand? A girl in my high school was in a car accident and her right arm was permanently damaged, so she had to switch to being predominantly left-handed for life. My husband was born in Europe and was forced to write with his right hand even though he’s left-handed. So he writes with his right, but kicks (soccer), shoots (hockey), and bats (baseball) as a left-dominant player. But he throws a ball with his right….
The bass case is an odd one.
My go-to fun fact has often been that I’m related to William Wallace. In high school, I told people I was related to Braveheart and they were VERY excited, until they learned I didn’t mean Mel Gibson, I meant the actual William Wallace. My grandmother had our genealogy traced back and he was a direct great (many times over) grandfather.
Other than that… I just don’t think I’m very fun or unique. Maybe I could tell people I almost drowned on a mudflat? My husband has so many cool life experiences and fun fact/hobbies/talents. I’m more introverted and boring.
Drowning in a mudflat is an excellent fun fact! I think you have more fun facts than you give yourself credit for. You were featured in Laura Vanderkam’s book! You have an amazing blog! You were in that living Nativity! And this is just the stuff you put out on your blog. I’m sure there is more.
Yes! I was born in Sydney. How nice of you to remember!
The toes thing is that I have two toenails on each of my baby toes. I used to wonder why my baby toenails were always splitting – I thought I wasn’t trimming them right. And then one day I googled it and there is a thing where some people legitimately have two separate toenails on their baby toes. They’re called accessory nails. My lot in life, I guess.
I don’t write with my left hand anymore. Sometimes I think I should, as an exercise. That’s so interesting about your husband. I didn’t think forcing people to write with their right hand was still a thing in this day and age!
I would use number five, if I had to pick from your list!
If I have to come up with mine, well, I know the words to the Canadian national anthem in English and French (not so common with Americans, at a guess); I went to boarding school in England for a year; or that I was a year old the first time I flew to another country (I remember meeting someone in college and being stunned to learn he had never been on a plane).
Those are very fun facts! I want to know more about boarding school! Is it like in all the books?
I feel so seen in this as I just had a work-related spiral this week about how I don’t have a fun fact that isn’t about being a parent or referencing who I was or what I did 10-20 years ago (I’m in a season of life where I’m trying to figure out what hobbies / interests I might want to cultivate). My former fun facts count among them that I used to do radio plays when I was a teenager and did not try soup until I was 25 years old…
I ran into a wall at some point when making my list when i felt like I had all my fun in high school and college too.
I am *very* intrigued by the soup!
Oooh these are fun and intriguing! We need some posts about some of your fun facts!
Mine would be that my (very manly) dad named me after a soap opera star and my middle name was supposed to be Suzanne but was changed to Anne – otherwise my initials would have been LSD. Also I’ve bungee jumped from the 3rd highest bungee jump site in the world (in New Zealand), despite not being a thrill-seeking type!
Good call on changing your middle name!
Bungee jumping is a very good fun fact. I want to try it some day! Going to New Zealand is also a great fun fact too!
Six toenails? How does that even work? Or…maybe I don’t want to know?
I was born in a foreign country and sometimes use that as my interesting fact. Or that I regularly read more than 150 books every year. Or that I have had a personal blog since 2004 and it should be allowed to vote. But I guess those aren’t particularly interesting, either?
I’d use #18 if I were you!
I think those are very interesting facts! Like *how* do you manage to get 150 books in? That takes reading to an Olympic level. And foreign country facts are always interesting to me!
I have to be honest, I did have to google, “Fun Facts” for some inspiration. So I think we all have many fun facts once we dig deep enough.
So… I have two toenails on each of my baby toes. It’s definitely annoying when they both grow to a certain length.
This was FASCINATING! Please don’t ever say you are not interesting or anything of the sort- these are amazing and random and great! I now feel very dull in comparison. LOL.
oooh.. I bet you have so many fun facts! All that travel that you do! And that you can speak another language! I did have to google fun fact prompts when i got half way through the list…
These are so fascinating! And I want back stories on many of them (1,2,3,6,8, & 13-17).
My go to fun facts are usually a) that I got a horse for my 7th birthday, b) that I was a cheerleader all through high school (which is surprising considering my personality, I think), or c) that I’ve been downhill skiing since I was two. I really hate sharing fun facts though. Although I guess I like hearing about other people’s, so maybe I need to just give in to the quid pro quo aspect.
That is a LOT of breastmilk! What a wonderful contribution to mothers who couldn’t produce their own!
Maybe I’ll store up fun fact backstories for when I’m feeling uninspired but want to post!
It’s funny, about the breastmilk – it always seemed like a lot, but when I did the math, it was probably less than a week or two of milk. Babies take a lot of feeding!
Yeah – sharing always makes me squirm. It’s a fine line, right – the personal, but not too personal fun fact.
I do love your fun facts too, though! I would definitely be interested in those backstories too!
We were also once investigated by Child Welfare Services! It’s a long story. And how do you have six toenails on each foot- you have six toes? (Maybe that’s a dumb question.)
I hate situations like that where you have to come up with something on the spot. Maybe we should all have answers ready to questions like “If you had a super power, what would it be?” or “What is a fun fact about you?”
If I had to name a fun fact right this second, I would say it’s that i won the “bicycle rodeo” at my school in fourth grade. I got a medal and my picture in the paper! When I came home and told my mom, her response was “You don’t even ride your bike that much!” She’s right, I didn’t. I have to idea how that happened.
It’s so funny about being investigated by CWS – like it’s a funny story now, but I’m acutely aware that there’s a lot of privilege involved in it being a funny story for me. There are a lot of other families where it wouldn’t have ended up being a funny story.
I don’t have six toes – I just have two toenails on each of my baby toes. It’s not really noticeable unless I forget to clip them.
Your fun fact is hilarious!
You have so many fun facts! I really, really love #10. I think that would make everyone laugh. #5 is great, too!
My usual fun fact is that I read over 100 books a year, which people always find astounding lol. Or I like to say I’ve zip-lined in multiple countries, have been on 10+ cruises, or was a cheerleader in high school (people always find that one surprising).
I’ve always wanted to go ziplining!
100+ books is definitely astounding.
I do feel like there are more cheerleaders out in the world than I realize. I’d be interested to hear about that!