It's always so difficult to characterize myself. Especially if one believes, as so many of the children I work with do, that those things and people who go "first" are ultimately the most important. So in no particular order (except that of my overworked subconscious): poodle owner, pediatric occupational therapist, grad school student, citizen of the world, (il)legally married person, surfer (of waves and net), dwarf paladin, lover of animals and small things of beauty and uniqueness, advocate for children, reluctant activist (they just won't act right, which demands that I act up-- over and over and over), bibliophile, easily amused and never bored, prone to dread locks, enjoys walks on the beach (repulsive but true), bird watcher of great enthusiasm but little skill, cynic with a soft heart, pierced/tattooed/manipulated in the olden days, resilient despite it all.