During new employee orientation for my new job, I was asked, on more than one instance, to introduce myself and say one interesting thing about myself.

I wanted to say something interesting, memorable, but I couldn't come up with anything good.

I got away with the first one: “I gave up coffee for the last four years, but that’s all over now!” (polite chuckle around the room).

Other people gave their hobbies: stamp collector, car aficionado, wine enthusiast, triple black belt, survived raising twins, escaped a dictatorship, runs a school for blind children in India. What was my thing?

So here are some interesting things about me, so that the next time I’m asked, I’ve got something to say.

There's no such thing as a step-grandparent.

I met my husband in college and married him 20 years later.
I had nine grandparents.
I had three abdominal surgeries in just over four years (probably not work-appropriate).
I can light a match using only my toes.
I haven’t worked more than nine months in a calendar year since 2003 (that might raise some flags).
I was rolling script at CNN the moment we started bombing Baghdad in 1991. From my seat at the then-useless script machine, I watched the evening roll out across 72 monitors.
Thanks to a busted fan belt, I was in a Ukrainian country club in the Catskills when they announced that Ukraine had separated from the Soviet Union.
I have almost finished my book for Book Club this month.

What is your interesting thing?