Do you guys remember when I posted 10 weird things about me? It’s been quite a while since then, and I have finally come to terms with the fact that I am not as great as I seem on paper. It may not be much of a shock for you, but trust me, I thought I was great. But when I peel off the layers, there are a few not-so-great aspects of my personality that I try not to show too often..
The only reason why I’m letting you in on my dirty little secrets is because I want you to know that it’s ok not to be perfect. Heck, on GWS, no one is perfect! And that’s 100% okay. It is the differences and flaws that make us interesting people. Otherwise, we might as well just be a bunch of zombies.
I’m hoping you won’t judge, but here are the not-so-great things about my personality.

I get hangry
I don’t just get hangry, but I become a whole new, three-headed monster with a million teeth. Food is a pretty big part of my life, so I like to treat mealtimes with respect. You know how you would never show up late to a job interview or funeral? Yeah, I would never show up late to breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack 1 or 2. And the mini snacks in between – they matter too! It doesn’t matter if breakfast is in my own bed or at my desk in the office. I WILL show up on time!
In case you missed it, one Portuguese saying that I quote literally every single day sums up my relationship with food:
“Saco vazío nao fica em pé.”
If you just Google translated that and can’t quite understand what “an empty sack does not stand” means, I’ve got you. Have you ever taken a sack of potatoes and made it stand upright? Now imagine you’ve taken out the potatoes and tried the same thing. Poof. That’s all you get. Well, that sack has a name – Shelly – and it cannot will not stand while empty!
Check out: Portuguese desserts to try out this holiday
My road rage is insane
When I got my first car, I was very excited to be on the road. I initially practiced driving around my complex because I wasn’t about to risk scratching a brand new car. Especially without a driver’s license! Then I got balls and decided to take it onto the streets. What I remember from that day is feeling frustrated, angry and quite scared. It almost seemed as though everyone on the road was purposely trying to get scratches on my champagne coloured chasis. When I say everybody, I literally mean EVERYBODY!
Since that day, I have found myself feeling extremely angry if someone cuts me off. I get irritated if someone drives through a red light at crossroads. I also cannot stand it when people try to jump “queues” by taking the wrong lane then trying to cut in right by the turn. If that’s something you do, don’t try to fool me, I can see right through your thoughtless act! Something like that puts me in a sour mood for the entire day.
So nowadays, eight years after getting my first car, I don’t drive unless I really have to. I do this to spare the people who have to interact with me for the remainder of the day. Call it community service. One day I will get a personal chauffeur, but for now, I call him my ‘husband’.
I’m either addicted or repulsed, never in between
I have also mentioned before that I have an addictive personality, but the other side that you don’t see is that it is either black or white. Either I’m obsessed, or I quite literally don’t want to have anything to do with something. There are very few things and people that fall into that grey area… Let’s call them the chosen ones. The ones that haven’t yet revealed their purpose but are mysterious enough to keep close. Also, most of the people that fall into the black list are called exes, so you don’t have to worry. 😉
When it comes to things, I go through phases of wanting the same thing every single day and as often as possible. Things that have been on my list for years include pizza, gum, bread, and biscuits. I wouldn’t say I have a sweet tooth, more of a passion for carbs. It’s a passion that I wear on my sleeve too, so my husband knows never to deprive me of carbs if he wishes to have his way. I’m not ashamed of it, carbs are life!
The FOMO is real
Here’s the thing… I don’t like to go out much because I generally get lazy to go, but I always feel like I’m missing out. I want the tea on what’s happening, I need to be in on the inside jokes and I must be in the pictures. If an event happens and I wasn’t invited, I brood for days. But when I am invited, I generally tend not to show. I know, I know, my personality is confusing.
The best way I can explain it is that I always want to have my cake, eat it, serve it to my people and freeze it all at the same time. Going out means that I don’t get to run through the motions of my self-care. But staying home means that I don’t join in on the fun. Simple right? If I could find a way to cut myself in half, I would conquer the world and probably have more friends. Until then, I will just have to live with that constant, nagging feeling of ‘missing out’.
Did you know that FOMO can be a trait of anxiety disorder?
My personality screams immature
Here I am running a blog that talks about self-improvement, mental health, and all of that good stuff, and yet I am very, very childish. Many people who interact with me can’t quite tell how immature I am because I have mastered the art of putting on a mask. However, that doesn’t make me any less ‘grown’.
When it comes to my feelings, I tend to be highly sensitive. That’s the normal part – the childishness comes after. I am well known to lash out or disappear. Sometimes, I will even start an argument because I am in a bad mood and the happy people around me are irritating. Sometimes I get so frustrated that I just start crying… in the office, in my car, at the doctor, in a queue… Name a place and I have probably cried there!
I also do very silly things like putting socks in my baby’s shirt and saying ‘boobs’ or start making kiss sounds whenever I see a guy and a girl together. They could be twins and I would still assume they are dating. Smooch smooch!
I named my site “Growing with Spawn” for a reason!
No worries, we are who we are and we continue to grow and evolve-
And that is why I love you 😊
Maybe these aren’t all bad, maybe you’re very passionate and young at heart! 🙂 omg, I relate to the hangriness, esp when I was pregnant… It was out of this world!!! I’d kill, literally kill anyone in my way, if I was hungry lol and it came in instantly too lol
Ha ha. The road rage. I am 100% with you on that one. I swear at other drivers all the time. As I’ve spent the last year teaching my daughter to drive, I notice it even more.
My sense of humor is a perfect match for T’s. I laugh at his fart jokes and other things. It is ok. I am also the world’s biggest weirdo so it all works out. Who wants to be perfect and great anyways? Imperfections and growth is what it is all about. 🙂
Lol I did expect something like this from you 😅 and you’re right, imperfections and growth is what life is about!
We are so similar on “the FOMO part” !!!! Like I thought you are describing me😂😂😂
loved this Shelly!
Accepting and understanding our shortcomings is a sign of improvement, isn’t it? I think the title of your blog fits very well. We all try our best, don’t we? And knowing what we need to fix is the first step to becoming better. Well done! Just don’t get into fights on the road and be safe!
I am totally with you on these points – especially the hanger and having an addictive personality too! Thank you for sharing x
Oh man, I am with you on the hangry thing. I get SO ANNOYED and then I eat something and all is well. Yet somehow I can never remember this when it is happening???
The Hangry is real! The problem is that I get hangry before I even ever realize that I’m actually hungry.
I can be terribly jealous and possessive. If I consider something (or someone) “mine” then they’re mine and no one had better encroach on my territory.
I love this Shelly and I agree with markus+micah that understanding our shortcomings is a sigh of self-improvement.
You are hilarious😂😂
“want to have my cake, eat it, serve it to my people, and freeze it —all at the same time” BEST thing I have read all day😂😂🤗🤗
I am like you, I am either obsessed or repulsed by something, there isn’t anything in between. I don’t know why —that’s the way I seem to be.
What a read, thanks Shelly😘😂 xx
Lol sometimes I feel like we are the same person! I see a lot of me in your posts too… hmmm 🤔 maybe we were separated at birth? 😅😂
Yes, we might have done😂 xx