28 Questions for 28 Years

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So this upcoming weekend is my birthday. I love my birthday. I always have! The funny thing is I didn’t really celebrate it much till I was 18.  Growing up the rule in my house was you got a sweet 16 and that was pretty much it as far as parties went. I mean we would acknowledge your birthday but for the most part, we didn’t do much besides a special dinner. In my case especially my birthday always feel during a really big week long event in my church. My birthday normally meant, getting up and watching tv, having dinner then heading to church.

Back when I started my blog in 2015 I did a survey of random questions to help everyone get to know me better and as I start a new path in my business I thought it only made sense to do it again. Originally I was going to do an update and compare my original answers to now but instead, I decided to just pick 28 new ones.

What are your nicknames? What do you prefer to be called?

Dia is really the only thing I like to be called. But I will also answer to any of the following:

• Nubian Queen
• Cocoa Goddess
• KeyLoLo – If you watched Martin in the 90s then you probably remember Sheneneh and Keylolo. Martin’s hot mess neighbor and her best friend. Well, my mom decided at one point that I was Keylolo and my oldest sister was Sheneneh.
• Sweetie, Beautiful, My Dear, Princess (But only by a certain person. You know who you are. <3)

It should also be noted that I hate being called Dee! When people feel the need to shorten the 2 syllable Dia to Dee, I think 2 things. 1. Dee sounds so manly, “Pass me the rock, Dee.” 2. Am I not worthy of that second syllable to you?

What is your strongest sense? If you had to give one up, which would it be?

I think my strongest sense is taste. I’m that person with a very sensitive and picky pallet. I can also taste smells. It’s a blessing and a curse. If I had to give up one sense it would be smell. It’s the least useful in my opinion. I need to see to do a lot of the things I do, like paint. I’d hate never being able to hear music again and I love being touched by my loved ones.

What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?

I don’t know if this is the strangest but it’s the first that comes to mind. I remember being young and watching MTV. During this time MTV was running a campaign about safe sex and in one tv spot this guy was blowing up condoms like balloons. I commented about the balloons when my older sister pointed them out as condoms and without very much details explained what condoms are. My young brain assumed that condoms went around a women’s breasts during sex.

Are you high maintenance? Explain.

I think to an extent I am. I am high maintenance but I think a lot of the things I want or like that make me “high maintenance” are things I do for myself. I like to get massages and I don’t like to drink cheap vodka.  Stuff like that. I try to be pretty understanding of the people I love and accepting of their needs and wants but I also stand up for my own.

Do you prefer that people shoot straight with you or temper their words? Why?

I will be honest, I don’t have the thickest skin. I’m a huge fan of the compliment sandwich. I don’t want anyone to lie but don’t be a dick just to be a dick.

Do you have a catchphrase?

Yes! I have a few as someone who loves quotes. I think the one I use the most is, “Little by little becomes a lot.” I’m also a fan of the pop culture, “Boy bye,” and “Not today Satan.”

What are the top three qualities that draw you to someone new?

Humor, witt and honesty. I love to laugh and if you can make me laugh then I will be more receptive to you. I also love someone who isn’t just “stupid funny” but has a strategic mind with their humor. Honesty is huge for me. I’ve dealt with my fair share of liars and if someone is willing to be honest about mistakes or faults I’m more forgiving.

If you could eliminate one weakness or limitation in your life, what would it be?

The big bad insecurity monster. Like I mentioned above I don’t have the thickest skin but it’s a battle I am constantly fighting. I’d like to be less affected by the actions and opinions of others.

In what area of your life are you immature?

This is a hard one. I want to say that my obsession for watching cartoons is probably my most immature trait. If not that then the fact that I struggle with expecting the people I love and care about to return my actions. For example, if I contacted you first the last time we hung out I want you to initiate the next. It’s incredibly juvenile to want relationships (both romantic and not) to be a tit for tat type thing and I’m working on it.

When do you find yourself singing?

All the time! I love music! I sing in the shower, in the car, at the grocery store, at the gym. All the time.

How often do you laugh?

I try to laugh as much as I possibly can. I also love to make other people laugh. When I’m having a really bad day and I’m at work I find stand up videos to brighten my mood. Here is one of my favorites.

When Was The Last Time You Cried?

I cry all the time. Like seriously at least once a day. I’m a crybaby and an empath. I cried earlier because I missed someone I’m seeing in less than a week. I’ve cried at a Cheerios commercial, the movie Joe Dirt, The movie Taken and other things I’d rather not admit.

Are you double jointed?

Yes in my elbows. It’s hereditary, my mom is too.

Do You Regret Anything?

“Your regrets in life aren’t what you did in life but what you didn’t do. So take every opportunity.” This is one of my all-time favorite quotes. I do regret some of the guys I dated and fireball shots I took but I think generally every choice we make has formed who we are in the present moment for better or worse.

If you were in a car sinking in a lake, what would you do first?

Roll the windows down! This way I’d have a better chance of getting out. (Assuming the car wasn’t already fully submerged.) Because I have a tendency to worry I just Googled this and it says to take your seat belt OFF first. I feel like getting the window down first would be most important. I’d probably try to do both simultaneously… it’s not like I need my hands to steer.

Name The Thing That Annoys You The Most

As someone who is very easily annoyed this question could have 100 answers. I’m trying to focus more on things that annoy me versus thingS that enrage me. I get annoyed by people who don’t comply to social cues for no other reasons than they choose to neglect them. Like I hate when people talk to me when I have headphones on and it’s not about anything important.

Have you ever written a poem?

Yes! I was very much a poem kid in high school. I actually won a poetry competition before. I wrote my first poem in years a few months ago and remembered how therapeutic it was.

Do you like ketchup on or beside your fries?

I love Ketchup. I put it on things that make other people angry…including steak. That being said, Ketchup should always be placed next to the french fries because you don’t want them to get soggy.

Have you ever been in a car that ran out of gas?

Haha yes. It was practically a requirement that all my cars in college were POSs. I had a Chevy Caviler with a broken gas gauge. I went to Walmart one night and ran out of gas. With the help of a friend I called, we pushed it into a parking lot and went to get gas. Not a fun experience.

Have you ever played in the rain? 

Yes, it’s probably one of my fondest memories. My friend and birthday twin, Tony and I didn’t have cars the summer after my freshman year of college so we would take walks together to Mcdonalds. One summer night it started to rain right as we got back to the student apartments, instead of rushing to get inside we just decided to play in the rain. It was a beautiful experience, I felt like I was having a movie moment.

If you could invite any movie star to your home for dinner, who would it be?

It’s hard to pick just one because when I think of someone, I think of someone else that should be there with us. If I say Chris Pratt I want him to bring Anna and Jack. If I say, Amy Poehler, you know Tina Fey has to come. Rapid fire? Will Ferrell. I feel like I would laugh a lot.

Would you hang out with/date someone your best friend didn’t like?

My therapist actually asked me this recently. The truth is yes, I would. I mean of course it depends on the reasoning behind it and the severity of their conflict but at the end of the day we have to live our own lives.

What is your favorite breed of dog?

I have a huge soft spot for Labradors.

If you won a $5,000 shopping spree to any store, which store would you pick?

Can I call my apartment complex a store and just pay my rent for a few months? LOL Honestly I’m incredibly practical in matters of money and I’d want to be able to use the money for things like groceries and gas so probably HEB (it’s the grocery store in Texas where you can also buy gas).

What is your favorite season?

Hands down Fall. For 2 reasons, that’s when most of my favorite shows come back from summer hiatus and that’s when the Texas heat calms down a little bit from the 100-degree summer temperatures I hate.

Are you superstitious?

I don’t know that I’m superstitious but I do believe the universe has some kind of score card I haven’t figured out yet.

What is one lesson you hope you never forget?

That as long as you’re breathing you have another chance.

What is one thing you would tell your younger self?

Don’t date… Just kidding. I’d probably tell myself, You don’t have it all figured out and that’s okay. Don’t be so hard on yourself.

What is something you’d tell your future self?

If you’ve stopped dreaming, get back to it.

So I know some of these are silly and all of them are random but I hope you enjoyed these random question and feel like maybe you know me a little bit more.

Now check out some throwback pictures:

Now you tell me!

• What are you doing this weekend? I am so excited to celebrate my birthday and start a new year in my life.
• Did you do anything for the 4th?
• What was your best birthday ever?
• Did you relate to any of my responses above?
• Any questions you couldn’t answer?
• Any questions you’d like to share your answers to?