It’s been a long month of pitching and constant editing. I could definitely do with some lighter fare before I get back in the saddle, so to speak.
Won’t you join me for a bit of fun, playing Two Truths and a Lie? It’s a chance to learn more about me, other than just my journey as a writer. You might be surprised what you discover.
It’s simple really. I choose a topic and make three statements about how it applies to me. You guess which one is the lie. At the bottom of the list are the answers and some extra information about the statements. Ready? Here we go!
1. Family:
A. I am a cousin of the actress Charlize Theron.
B. My ancestors on my father’s side were farmers, generation after generation, going back at least 200 years.
C. My grandparents on my mother’s side were part of a group of spelunkers who discovered a new cave.
2. School days:
A. I directed plays in elementary school.
B. I was first published at the age of 12.
C. I almost flunked math in middle school, but went on to do 3 semesters of mathematics at university.
3. University:
A. I went to Europe as an exchange student.
B. I was the first person in my family to get a university degree.
C. One of my professors, a famous poet, gave me a zero on my first assignment.
4. Travel:
A. I have traveled to 20 countries.
B. I have been to Wales, Turkey, and Namibia.
C. I have spent most of my life in Africa.
5. Sport:
A. My favorite form of exercise is hiking.
B. I have done fencing as a sport.
C. Despite my fear of heights, I have ziplined and bungee-jumped.
6. Accident-prone:
A. I used to whittle, until I stabbed myself in the hand and almost lost the use of my thumb.
B. I took up ice-skating again in my adult life and broke my arm while trying to learn to spin.
C. I got my finger stuck in a hole in a fence and, in trying to pull it free, I dislocated it.
7. Animals:
A. I am afraid of earthworms.
B. I’ve swum with dolphins.
C. I love to hold corn snakes at every opportunity.
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ANSWERS
1. Family:
A. I am a cousin to the actress Charlize Theron. LIE
Well, it’s sort of true. Charlize Theron and I are descended from a common French ancestor, and so we are VERY distant cousins. And, of course, we’re both South African. Practically family!
B. My ancestors on my father’s side were farmers, generation after generation, going back at least 200 years. TRUTH
C. My grandparents on my mother’s side were part of a group of spelunkers who discovered a new cave. TRUTH
2. School days:
A. I directed plays in elementary school. TRUTH
My “troupe” and I used to rehearse every day at recess. I wrote the script, acted, directed, and organized the props. Those were good days!
B. I was first published at the age of 12. LIE
I was first published at the age of 10. Our school organized a writing contest to celebrate its twentieth year. The winners were published in the school year book. I still have that year book.
C. I almost flunked math in middle school, but went on to do 3 semesters of mathematics at university. TRUTH
When I got to high school, I had a new and amazing math teacher who completely changed my attitude toward what I had found a challenging subject. I ended up studying a few semesters of math at university for fun. Here’s looking at you, Mrs. Douglas!
3. University:
A. I went to Europe as an exchange student. TRUTH
I spent a month in the Netherlands as part of a cultural exchange program. While this is fairly common and encouraged in the USA, it was quite unusual in South Africa.
B. I was the first person in my family to get a university degree. LIE
I was the first woman in my family to get a university degree.
C. One of my professors, a famous poet, gave me a zero on my first assignment. TRUTH
He told me not to worry about it. After all, said he, I had only come to university to find a husband… (Grrr!) I proved him wrong by graduating top of my class. It was only while doing my Honors course that I met my husband… :-)
4. Travel:
A. I have traveled to 20 countries. LIE
I have traveled to 17 countries outside of South Africa, several of them more than once. And one of them became my new home!
B. I have been to Wales, Turkey, and Namibia. TRUTH
Also, in chronological order: Lesotho, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Turkey, Slovenia, Portugal, Australia, the USA, the UAE, and Ireland.
C. I have spent most of my life in Africa. TRUTH
Although South Africa is at the southernmost tip of the continent, I still consider myself 100% African. It confuses people because I am Caucasian, but if you are also Africa-born, you will understand when I say it’s in your blood. The heart of Africa beats through you and never leaves you.
5. Sport:
A. My favorite form of exercise is hiking. TRUTH
Whether it’s along the beach or a river, or up and over a mountain, this is my favorite way to be active.
B. I have done fencing as a sport. TRUTH
I did it for a few years until I hurt my back. I was very sorry to give it up.
C. Despite my fear of heights, I have ziplined and bungee-jumped. LIE
I have ziplined several times, which has been a crazy mix of terror and pure joy. But bungee-jumping isn’t even on my list. I know my limits.
6. Accident-prone:
A. I used to whittle, until I stabbed myself in the hand and almost lost the use of my thumb. TRUTH
B. I took up ice-skating again in my adult life and broke my arm while trying to learn a spin. TRUTH
C. I got my finger stuck in a hole in a fence and, in trying to pull it free, I dislocated it. LIE
7. Animals:
A. I am afraid of earthworms. LIE
I LOVE earthworms. When it has rained, and I go for a walk afterwards, I will rescue earthworms from the road and put them back on the grassy verge. When I was in high school and played hockey, I was left wing, meaning I ran up and down the side of the field, waiting for the ball to be passed out to the edge. I used to collect stranded earthworms from the muddy field and put them on my shoulder until it was safe to quickly stop and drop them off on the side of the field.
B. I’ve swum with dolphins. TRUTH
They are pure power.
C. I hold corn snakes at every opportunity. TRUTH
What’s not to love? They are very docile and their colors are so beautiful.
I challenge you to share your own “two truths and a lie.” If you post it on my blog, I will guess the answer and you can tell me if I am right. Or take the challenge to your friends and family. We could all use a little light-heartedness in our lives.