This week is the 8th Annual Diabetes Blog Week and my second year participating. Diabetes Blog Week was started by and is still instigated by fellow type 1 Karen Graffeo in Connecticut who blogs at Bitter~Sweet Diabetes. This week is as a way for Diabetes bloggers (well over 100 participants from ALL OVER the World each year!) to share a huge variety of perspectives on issues relating to our illness. Learn more about Diabetes Blog Week here. #DBlogWeek
Diabetes Blog Week Day 5 - More Than Diabetes
Lets wrap up the week by sharing a little more about ourselves, beyond the chronic illness we or our loved ones live with. Share an interest, hobby, passion, something that is YOU. If you want to explore how it relates to or helps with diabetes you can. Or let it be a part of you that is completely separate from diabetes, because there is more to life than just diabetes! (This topic is a suggestion from the 2016 #DBlogWeek survey.)
Weeellll, this post could be dangerous. I’ve had a whole life (20 years before I was diagnosed) outside of diabetes that could fill a book really. Or maybe I’m just flattering myself.
So, here are a few things that not many people outside of friends and family know about me;
At age 17, I ran away to the circus.
No, not really:-) When I finished second level education I was done with books. I had no clue what I wanted to do but I knew it was not going to involve more school. My parents begged me to do a secretarial course and I would have rather DIED!!!
So I decided to try to become an actor or at least involved in theatre. And off I went to acting school for 1 year and then I got into a more advanced course and did two years more. I had pretty much figured out that I was hopeless at it by my 3rd year. So when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in this year it told me that I should run.
I’m Crafty, some might even say in more ways than just one;-)
When I lived in Minnesota I discovered the craft of scrapbook style photo albums and I loved it. I’m always the one with the camera taking photos and putting prints into the classic photo albums (you know, when we did that) and then quickly forgot the story that photo told. Scrapbook style photo albums just made sense to me.
I started “scrapping” in earnest when I moved to Minnesota, it filled the time while I was job hunting. It also helped me figure out what I was going to do with my life a year later when I left that job because I was miserable. Being a secretary or admin personel just wasn’t cutting it for me.
I also knit a wee bit and crochet - although it's been a while for all three. Something keeps me busy???
And this may be the “Shocker”, especially to Irish people! I am 100% Irish!
No seriously, it’s true. Yes, I have this warped and weird accent but I was born in Ireland. I’ve lived here almost all of my life, apart from the four years I lived in Minnesota. My husband, who is actually american, is never asked where he is from. I, on the other hand, get asked a lot. And when I say “Clare” people are surprised. One person replied “I wasn’t expecting that answer”. My response was “Well, I’m originally from Co. Offaly, but you weren’t expecting that answer either.”
And there you have it! A little something about me outside of the world of diabetes, two children and a husband;-)