Who is the Real Susan52?
Squidoo experts say that lensmasters should write about things they know. Things they love. Things they're passionate about. Indeed, a lens often reveals a lot about its lensmaster and his or her interests and passions.
Reading down a list of my lenses you might wonder how one person could have written on such an eclectic range of subjects. Upon closer examination, you might even wonder if several people contributed to the list. Could one person have so many interests, so many passions? Who is this person?
On my personal blog I describe myself as a combination of the inner child, the giant squid, the sassy alter ego, and the baby boomer. It wasn't planned, but I think most of my lenses really do reflect one of those segments of my personality. Which is the real me? Actually, they all are.
To get to know the whole me, the sum of my parts, you need to get to know a little bit about each of those parts, what I call my four personas. Read on as the real Susan52 is revealed, persona by persona.
Caveat! This lens was made to complete an assignment for the RocketMoms group. I was told to talk about myself and if I don't, I won't graduate! So please bear with me as I focus, for now, on the four faces of me.
Reading down a list of my lenses you might wonder how one person could have written on such an eclectic range of subjects. Upon closer examination, you might even wonder if several people contributed to the list. Could one person have so many interests, so many passions? Who is this person?
On my personal blog I describe myself as a combination of the inner child, the giant squid, the sassy alter ego, and the baby boomer. It wasn't planned, but I think most of my lenses really do reflect one of those segments of my personality. Which is the real me? Actually, they all are.
To get to know the whole me, the sum of my parts, you need to get to know a little bit about each of those parts, what I call my four personas. Read on as the real Susan52 is revealed, persona by persona.
Caveat! This lens was made to complete an assignment for the RocketMoms group. I was told to talk about myself and if I don't, I won't graduate! So please bear with me as I focus, for now, on the four faces of me.
The Inner Child
When I Was a Child, I Acted Like a Child
Sometimes I still do.
First, let me explain the picture. I mean the one of me above, my avatar on Squidoo. My mother took that picture. In fact, she took a lot of pictures of me when I was little since I was the firstborn of our family. (Poor baby brother, fourth child, has far fewer pictures, but doesn't it usually work that way?) When I was about a year and a half old, I was actually featured in our tiny town's local newspaper, "A Day in the Life of a Very Young Lady," with a probably half-page layout of photos that my mom took, with captions that she wrote. It didn't hurt that my daddy worked at the newspaper, of course.Childhood to me brings to mind fun and imagination. I love having fun on Squidoo. It turns out that I actually have a sense of humor (there was a time I doubted that) and I've learned to show that side of myself on my lenses. I had a great time writing about Embarrassing Products in Plain Brown Wrappers and about Weird Remedies. I mean, some things you just have to laugh about!
One of my favorite lenses, one that I think reveals a lot about what I feel is important when raising children, is about imagination and make believe. For that lens I turned to experiences with my own very creative, imaginative children, but I will take some credit for nurturing those qualities in them. I'm sure that quality was nurtured in me, particularly by my parents encouraging my reading. I do remember a story about me and my cousin Debbie, though, when we were very young. We were playing with two piles of dirt, the "salt" and the "pepper." One of us wasn't very excited about sharing the salt with the other and I, I mean she actually bit the other one. Funny how that story sounds very different now when Debbie tells it from the way I choose to remember it!
Sometimes I'm funny when I didn't even mean to be. (Just ask my family.) I really, honestly believed that Barack Obama was growing a mustache last week and when I started the lens about it, it wasn't going to be funny at all (well, maybe a little)! After a few "Hilarious!" feedbacks, I added a bit more humor just to make myself feel better. And then the president shaved. Ah, such is life.
Fun, Imaginative Lenses
This lens isn't a lensography and won't include all of my lenses, but I will be featuring a few that support my theory that you can learn a lot from a lensmaster by the content of her lenses.
There are more than three lenses in each featured lenses module on this page. If you care to see more, refresh the page to see what else comes up.-
The Chicken Dance and More Stuff About Chickens
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You've heard of the chicken dance, haven't you? If not, stay tuned because we're going to tell you what it is and teach you how to do the chicken dance. If you do know the chicken dance and look forward to dancing it at every wedding, ba...
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Santa Claus
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He lives at the North Pole. He raises reindeer. He wears a red suit and sports a white beard. He's jolly. He's fat. A merry, old elf. He's making a list, checking it twice. He's coming to town. In a sleigh. Must be Santa, Santa Cl...
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Humiliated Cats
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This cat has been humiliated. You look, you laugh. Sure, it's funny to you, but how does the cat feel? Cats aren't dogs. Dogs don't mind being humiliated. In fact, dogs thrive on humiliation. But cats have pride. They...
The Giant Squid
The Little Girl in Black and White Grows Up to be a Bright Orange Giant Squid
Now, that wasn't in the plan!
I've been a stay-at-home mom since our first child was born in 1982, but before that I actually had a career. I started working as a keypunch operator when I was 16, then after a few years of learning everything in the computer room I went to programming school. I'm a huge fan of vocational education and, while I didn't go to a "real" college long enough to get a "real degree" I wouldn't do it any differently today. I had a programming job before graduation and eventually advanced to systems analyst. Along the way I taught programming in that same vocational school and then eventually taught a variety of classes to data processing managers (what we know as the "IT department" now) at a large bank. Life was good. Then I became a SAHM - and life was better.My husband worked in IT as well, so when personal, home computers came along we decided that wasn't for us. After all, we had worked around computers for years and who in their right mind would want to have a computer at home? So, we were holdouts. Thinking back on it, that was a great decision for us as we homeschooled our sons and if I had gotten hooked on something like Squidoo when they were younger, they would have had to raise themselves!
We did eventually get a computer, of course, and then, several years later, along came Squidoo. Blogging came first and that was fun, but though it got off the ground, it never really took off. I found Squidoo on a WAHM forum, tried it, it clicked and the light bulb above my head lit up! Now, two-plus years later, I'm still learning to do Squidoo bigger and better, but I know that this is where I belong. I have online business plans and goals that extend beyond Squidoo, but the roots of my plans run deep, like long, orange tentacles, in Squidoo territory. For that I am very thankful.
Giant Lenses About Squidoo
(and a blog)
Here are a few of my Squidoo-related lenses. The comments I get, especially on the Squidoo Somebody lens, just absolutely thrill me; lensmasters are so kind. I'm happy to be able to help new lensmasters get on the right track and to give a little bit back to the community through these lenses and my blog, I Squidoo, Do You?.-
Squidoo Changed My Life! (Has it changed yours?)
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April 2009. Happy anniversary to me! It's been two years now since I got started on Squidoo. Wow, what an outstanding ride it has been! Since I've been a lensmaster on Squidoo, I've learned to think differently from the way I thought before. My powe...
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Are You a Squidoo Nobody? How to Become a Squidoo Somebody in 6 Easy Lessons
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Who is this little orange guy? That's what everyone wants to know! So, why are you leaving us in the dark? "This is my bio. I can edit it later." Well, little orange guy, later has arrived. The time is now! Come out from behind your orange anonymity...
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How Do I Keep My Lens Fresh?
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You've made a lens. That's great! Think you have a finished product on your hand? Well, you probably don't. Around here, we like nice, well prepared fresh squid! It's very important to keep your Squidoo lenses updated in order to keep both your lens...
The Sassy Alter Ego
Discussing Politics and Religion
Those subjects could make anyone sassy!
We didn't really talk about religion much when I was kid, though we did go to Sunday school. I know I had questions then, but I was never very satisfied with the answers. I did pay attention though, and I remembered a lot of what I learned. In fact, when I grew up and realized that I was ready for Somebody besides myself to be in charge of my life, many of those Sunday school lessons came back to me and finally made sense. Jesus has gotten me through some very difficult times and I can't imagine anyone going through tough times without him. I prefer to walk the walk rather than talk the talk, though, and see myself as a quiet witness but a witness nonetheless. I'm happy to speak up when the situation presents itself and I've made a couple of lenses in which I share my faith.We didn't talk a lot about politics as I was growing up, either. I do remember when Kennedy and Nixon were running for president, though. I was very sad since the only president I could remember was Eisenhower, who had been in office for all but the first few months of my life and I thought he should just keep on being the president. I guess my mom or dad set me straight on term limits, but that was about the extent of the political discussions that I remember in our house.
Things are different now. I'm very interested in politics and, particularly, in how worldviews shape people's political perspectives. (Sorry, didn't mean to spit on you there with all that alliteration.) Some of my interest has stemmed from living in a small state with big political names, people you've likely heard of. Bill Clinton was governor of our state when we moved here in 1991. It was a pretty exciting big deal for Arkansas when the governor ran for president. And then, of course, there's Hillary Clinton and we're all familiar with her political career over the last few years. The governor who replaced the governor who replaced Bill Clinton (yes, I meant to say that twice) was Mike Huckabee and his name is probably familiar to you as well. You'll find all of their names plus a few more as you read down my lens list.
I can get pretty sassy about my religious and political views, and I love a good debate, so it's hard to say what you might find on my lenses in the future. I try to keep my personal viewpoints to a minimum, but I love bringing out the sassiness in others!
Buy this God Bless America poster at allposters.com
Lenses That Make Other People Sassy
Gotta love a good debate, and the constitution that makes it all possible!
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I'm an Undecided Voter. Should I vote for Obama or McCain? Convince Me!
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The 2008 presidential election is history here in the United States of America and Barack Obama won fair and square. A few weeks prior to the election, which was on November 4, 2008, I posed this challenge to visitors to this lens: "Let's say I'm an...
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The FairTax - How to Make Paying Taxes Easy and Fair
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What do you think of when you hear "April 15th"? Unless it's your birthday, chances are you think of the dreaded day that the annual tax return must be filed and the dreaded taxes must be paid. The day that the post office stays...
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Sharing My Faith
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I answer to many names. I'm Susan, of course, as well as Honey, daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt and, especially, "Mom!" If you know me online, likely you know me as Susan52 or perhaps my52cents. All of those names have special and significant m...
The Baby Boomer
I'm a Baby Boomer, Aging Every Day
Sometimes I don't handle it very well, either.
Growing older has been a bit of a chore for me. As I often say, it beats the alternative, although some days I don't really feel that way. First it was the empty nest. Then it was pre-menopause. Now it's post-menopause, gray hair, a pear shape, and a lot more things even more personal that I refuse to discuss, so don't worry about reading about them here. It has been said that growing old is not for sissies and I can certainly attest to that fact. I'm trying very hard not to be a sissy, but it's an uphill struggle.I really thought baby boomer topics would be my niche here on Squidoo, but after a couple of initial lenses I've found it hard to stick with the topic. I think part of that reason is that I'm still in denial about my body continuing to age as my mind stays pretty much the same. It's been interesting for me to meet other baby boomers here on Squidoo, as well as in "real life," and to realize that they feel, as I do, that they're growing older but not up.
And that, my friends, brings us full circle, back to that little girl in the black and white picture. She's the one who doesn't like growing old one bit and struggles with it on a daily basis. I'm the one who likes to look at her when I think about me.
Lenses For Baby Boomers and Beyond
Helping you grow older, gracefully.
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From Boomer to Senior
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Those of us on the early end of the baby boomer generation are beginning to enter our late 50s and 60s and, as a group, make up a large consumer demographic. We're the boomers who are becoming seniors. Our unique needs and in...
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Aging Baby Boomers - How to Keep Us Healthy and Safe
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Baby Boomers, defined as those of us born between the years 1946 and 1964, are the largest segment of the population in America today. And, like it or not, we're growing older. With increasing age comes a unique set of problems and n...
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Red Hats & the Women Who Wear Them
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What a great tribute to Red Hatters, those wonderful women of "a certain age" whose purpose it is to rekindle the ability to laugh at themselves and with each other. The purple and red attire worn by Red Hatters is based on the poem, Warning by Jenn...
I've talked enough about me. Tell me about you!
You've gotten this far. Thank you! I hope you'll leave a note!
submit
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Reply
- JaguarJulie JaguarJulie Nov 6, 2009 @ 5:25 pm
- Susan how are you doing today? Was thinking you probably need another avatar to show us how you are fairing in your journey. Warm fuzzies to you my dear.
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- CherylK CherylK Aug 11, 2009 @ 10:35 pm
- Oh, Susan, this was just a pleasure to read! You've been such an inspiration to me and I loved learning a little more about you...all four of you! As far as getting older is concerned, I honestly believe that age is a relative thing...it's just not that important to me as long as I feel good and don't lose my sense of adventure.
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- GrowWear GrowWear Jun 29, 2009 @ 1:42 pm
- Here's to growing older -- but not up! Really enjoyed the read!!
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- C-Joy C-Joy Jun 18, 2009 @ 9:57 pm
- It has been said that variety is the spice of life, so you have one sassy-spicy life! Thanks for sharing your story :)
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- mbrownauthor mbrownauthor Jun 18, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
- I enjoyed this lens, Susan. And don't think of it as growing older, but growing better!
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- marsha32 marsha32 Jun 18, 2009 @ 4:27 pm
- I have quite a variety of lenses too....I pray to make giant squid this time around, they didn't accept me last time around.
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- capriliz capriliz Jun 18, 2009 @ 9:47 am
- I remember the key punch days!
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- KimGiancaterino KimGiancaterino Jun 18, 2009 @ 1:04 am
- This lens was featured on A Day of 100 Squid Angel Blessings.
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- ElizabethJeanAllen ElizabethJeanAllen Jun 15, 2009 @ 6:26 pm
- A single facet wouldn't sparkle. That's why there are so many facets on a gemstone.
You shine.
Lizzy
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- KarateKatGraphics KarateKatGraphics Jun 14, 2009 @ 10:55 am
- I agree about a good debate...keeps the mind sharp! 5*****
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- annetteghallowell annetteghallowell Jun 13, 2009 @ 8:44 pm
- There are many facets of each and everyone of us. I love that you let us see each part of you!
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- bdkz bdkz Jun 13, 2009 @ 8:03 pm
- Love this lens! Sasy Susan is my favorite!
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- flipflopnana flipflopnana Jun 13, 2009 @ 1:14 pm
- I had a great time getting to know all 4 of you!
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- JaguarJulie JaguarJulie Jun 13, 2009 @ 8:07 am
- Nice to know all your personalities Susan! I think that's precisely why I identify so closely with you of probably all the lensmasters. Someone who has healthy multiple personas and is eclectically passionate about so many topics. I find it tough to pinpoint single passions.
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- sandyspider sandyspider Jun 12, 2009 @ 9:38 pm
- Great pictures of you. It is always nice to get to know you better. Great lens.
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Where Susan52 Hangs Out
Connect with me at some of these fine online establishments.
- Susan52 on Twitter
- Follow me on Twitter. I try to check in several times each day and you never know which persona might be tweeting at any given moment!
- I Squidoo, Do You?
- This is my Squidoo blog. "Sharing my squiddiction with the world, throwing in some how-to-Squidoo tips along the way." I hope you'll visit and sign up for updates or subscribe. Do you have a Kindle? I have great news! Now you can subscribe to "I Squidoo, Do You?" on your Kindle! Receive posts within minutes of the time they're posted online.
- Susan52 dot com
- "It's what happens when you combine the inner child, the giant squid, the sassy alter ego and the baby boomer." Like what you've been reading on this page.
- Susan52 on Squidoo
- This is my lensmaster profile page on Squidoo, including the list of all my lenses.
- The Green-Eyed Cat on Zazzle
- Oh, mercy, there might now be five of me. My gallery on Zazzle is an outlet for my creative side when it decides to show itself.
by Susan52
Susan52 enjoys writing, blogging, and making lenses on Squidoo and is proud to be a member of the Giant Squid 100 Club! The true loves of her life are... (more)
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