If you’re on Facebook, I know you’ve seen the “25 Things About Me” meme (a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes) flying around over the last two weeks.

Time Magazine reported two things on Thursday:

1. That the meme is stupid, and
2. That over 5 million of these Facebook notes have appeared on the site.

I’ve decided to post my 25 Things About David because:

1. I have been tagged in so many 25 Things memes that I cannot possibly even tag back all those who tagged me,
2. To share with those of you not on Facebook both:

• A way for you to view my 25 Things,
• It’s much more fun with links, and
• An opportunity to present your 25 Things list.  Please leave them in the comments below!

And, without further delay… drumroll please … here are 25 Random Things about Me:

1. I feel shy, despite the fact that I’ve never found anyone in my life who agrees with me.
2. I am an existentialist and love existentialist writers:  “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche.  It should come as no surprise that Slow Down FAST is a collection of “Existential Self-Help Made Easy.”
3. I’ve raced competitively sailboats most of my life.  My favorite, by far is the awesome A Scow.
4. I started my adult working life as a runner on the trading floor of the Chicago Board Options Exchange.
5. I have been blissfully married for 9004 days (24 years, 7 months, 24 days).
6. I have two incredible children.
7. I have two Black Labradors.
8. I have a silly side that comes out every once in a while.
9. My absolute favorite place to vacation, and where I find the most peace, is the British Virgin Islands.
10. I’d much rather sit in an overstuffed chair next to a fire and have meaningful conversations with loved ones that go out and party.
11. I’m a firm believer in the saying “That which does not kill me makes me stronger.”
12. The Blue Collar Comedy specials are a guilty pleasure for me (especially Ron “Tater Salad, You Can’t Fix Stupid” White).
13. I watch Intervention and am blown away at how badly mangled people can get, as well as Celebrity Rehab and Sober House to remind me of the long odds of staying sober people experience.
14. I am in Graduate School seeking my Masters in Addiction Counseling.
15. There’s no such thing for me as watching Dickens’ A Christmas Carol too many times. “I wear the chain I forged in life….I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.” ~ The Ghost of Jacob Marley.
16. I believe it’s impossible to fully understand the alcoholic/addicted mind.  However, Stephen King’s The Shining illustrates the insanity going on inside Jack Torrence’s head.  “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
17. I know I cannot change people, places, and situations.  I can, however, accept them.
18. I truly try to practice the principles of Slow Down FAST each and every day.
19. I love to cook when I can make the time
20. I like to ski, yet am more into the power and majesty of the mountains.
21. My published “life story” is an overview at best.  Many more chapters have figuratively been written and will be written.
22. The most important thing for me today, and every day, is to “live well today!”
23. I have been temporarily been directed to live a sweet life in Lindstrom, MN.
24. The comedian Stephen Wright blows my mind.
25. I was adopted at 2 weeks old by incredible parents.

Let’s see your 25 Things! (Please submit comments below)

NEWSFLASH: I’ve added another chapter to my life by joining C.A.S.T. Recovery, a Los Angeles based national outpatient drug rehab program which specializes in designing highly individualized recovery plans with appropriate professionals to support a client’s health, accountability, and success.