There are two types of people in the world: extroverts and introverts. Most folks land somewhere in between. I myself slide pretty far into the "introvert" category.
For most people conversation with total strangers comes easy. Some extroverts can even get a sort of high from engaging with others. For introverts like myself, there are times when interacting with people can be really draining. Some may say 'get over it', or 'grow up', but it's not as simple as that.
It's probably not tough for anyone who reads this, and knows me in person, to have noticed that I've never been comfortable in large group situations. Get me in small groups of people I know and I'm at ease. Put me with a mix of familiar faces and total strangers and I start quieting down. Put me with one or two people who dominate a conversation and I'll shut down completely.
Tonight was one of those nights that reminded me that yes, there's no denying I am an introvert. And no, it's impossible for an introvert like me to even try to compete when you've got a person who's so extroverted, so hell-bent on talking that you can't get a word in edgewise.
So that's why, after a great dinner with a friend, I then found myself sitting on a bar stool for well over an hour while said friend got talked at (not with, but at) by an employee of a Connecticut TV station. I couldn't tell you what half the one-sided conversation they had was about, but I can pretty much give you the rundown of SportsCenter that was on loop at the time. The friend I was hanging out with is pretty outgoing, but even he was having trouble getting a few words into a complete sentence before he was getting interrupted. To make matters worse, I couldn't just leave since I was the one with a car.
It made for a pretty rough evening, and it was a reminder to me of just how lucky some folks are to have the "gift of gab". If I had my choice, I'd rather be outgoing and get a thrill from engaging with people. But that's just not me, and sometimes it really sucks.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Growing up, it seemed like summer lasted forever. Of course it seemed like winter lasted even longer, but that was when I still enjoyed snow so I didn't mind it so much. Nowadays, it's all just a blur. We sit here on the cusp of August with summer almost gone completely, and I honestly can't figure out where all the time went.
Scientists and psychologists say it's because we experience fewer "firsts" as we age, and as a result our brain skips over details of repeat events (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201004/why-time-goes-faster-you-get-older). That still doesn't explain why this summer feels like it's slipping through my fingers faster than last year did, and the year before that, etc. It's not like I've had fewer "new" experiences than I did last year or the year before.
The boffins say the key is to follow the cliche and to "live life to the fullest". Experience new things. Meet new people. Explore new places. Routinely make major life changes. And maybe that's the thing right now. For me, it really does seem like every day is just a repeat of the day before. Every week, a repeat of the week before. Same job, same living situation, same routine day in and day out. There's really no appreciable variation outside of great weekend days spend with friends and family. But that's only two days a week. The other five is just drab repetitiveness. Even vacations are spent at home, going through a slightly modified version of the same old routine. And this leads me to the crux of my post.
I'm dedicating the rest of this year to inching closer to being able to change some things up. Starting tonight (actually in about five minutes) my aim is to be hitting the gym daily and finally get rid of most of my gut. Not a major change in routine, but it's something different in my day-to-day and something to look forward to.
Something else to look forward to: it's an ambitious goal, but I'd love to be able to finally move out on my own within six months. I'm pushing 30, and a six-month stay at home after college has sort of snowballed out of control at this point. While I enjoy spending time with my mom at home, it's long past time for me to be out on my own and enjoying the fun (and aggrivation) of being a homeowner.
My aim is to make 29 my year of change, with a fresh new outlook by the time I hit 30 next June. Here's hoping for success!
Scientists and psychologists say it's because we experience fewer "firsts" as we age, and as a result our brain skips over details of repeat events (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201004/why-time-goes-faster-you-get-older). That still doesn't explain why this summer feels like it's slipping through my fingers faster than last year did, and the year before that, etc. It's not like I've had fewer "new" experiences than I did last year or the year before.
The boffins say the key is to follow the cliche and to "live life to the fullest". Experience new things. Meet new people. Explore new places. Routinely make major life changes. And maybe that's the thing right now. For me, it really does seem like every day is just a repeat of the day before. Every week, a repeat of the week before. Same job, same living situation, same routine day in and day out. There's really no appreciable variation outside of great weekend days spend with friends and family. But that's only two days a week. The other five is just drab repetitiveness. Even vacations are spent at home, going through a slightly modified version of the same old routine. And this leads me to the crux of my post.
I'm dedicating the rest of this year to inching closer to being able to change some things up. Starting tonight (actually in about five minutes) my aim is to be hitting the gym daily and finally get rid of most of my gut. Not a major change in routine, but it's something different in my day-to-day and something to look forward to.
Something else to look forward to: it's an ambitious goal, but I'd love to be able to finally move out on my own within six months. I'm pushing 30, and a six-month stay at home after college has sort of snowballed out of control at this point. While I enjoy spending time with my mom at home, it's long past time for me to be out on my own and enjoying the fun (and aggrivation) of being a homeowner.
My aim is to make 29 my year of change, with a fresh new outlook by the time I hit 30 next June. Here's hoping for success!
Back in action
First, let me say it's hard for me to believe it's been five years since I last updated this blog. To be honest, I'd almost completely forgotten this existed until I Googled myself a couple months ago. But then I looked back on it and realized it sort of gave me a bit of insight into my own life that I realized could be valuable.
Senior year in college is now a blur for the most part, but looking at posts helped me remember concrete moments in time. Some were good all-around (last day of college), some were good on the whole but with some bad parts (seeing a roommate's friend play a set at Eli's on Whitney), some were just plain rotten (a typical senior year day from hell), but they're all memories worth keeping. Looking back on this blog helps me fill in missing pieces in my own personal history in a way.
Some people keep diaries. Others just post their entire lives on Facebook. I figure that continuing this blog is a way to keep a private/public dialogue that you're all welcome to chime in on, without being slapped in the face with crazy posts like you otherwise would be on Facebook.
My ultimate aim here is twofold: keep an online diary, and stretch my writing abilities a bit. I've gotten so used to writing short form promo scripts that it's difficult for me to write posts that are even this length. At one time I used to be able to write in a sort of stream of consciousness form, but now I find myself rethinking things as I type, and trying to make sentences shorter than they probably need to be. The sentences you've just read were actually rewritten twice. I'm trying to shake myself of that habit.
So in the future, look for posts that are relavent to current events, random things happening in my life, and the occasional rant. I'll also be sharing my "music of the moment" from time to time since music has really become a much bigger part of my life.
This time the title is relevant. The lyrics, well, not so much outside the broad context of senior year of college. But I've probably played this song 15 times today alone. Calvin Harris working his magic with Example, a UK singer/rapper handling vocals.
Senior year in college is now a blur for the most part, but looking at posts helped me remember concrete moments in time. Some were good all-around (last day of college), some were good on the whole but with some bad parts (seeing a roommate's friend play a set at Eli's on Whitney), some were just plain rotten (a typical senior year day from hell), but they're all memories worth keeping. Looking back on this blog helps me fill in missing pieces in my own personal history in a way.
Some people keep diaries. Others just post their entire lives on Facebook. I figure that continuing this blog is a way to keep a private/public dialogue that you're all welcome to chime in on, without being slapped in the face with crazy posts like you otherwise would be on Facebook.
My ultimate aim here is twofold: keep an online diary, and stretch my writing abilities a bit. I've gotten so used to writing short form promo scripts that it's difficult for me to write posts that are even this length. At one time I used to be able to write in a sort of stream of consciousness form, but now I find myself rethinking things as I type, and trying to make sentences shorter than they probably need to be. The sentences you've just read were actually rewritten twice. I'm trying to shake myself of that habit.
So in the future, look for posts that are relavent to current events, random things happening in my life, and the occasional rant. I'll also be sharing my "music of the moment" from time to time since music has really become a much bigger part of my life.
This time the title is relevant. The lyrics, well, not so much outside the broad context of senior year of college. But I've probably played this song 15 times today alone. Calvin Harris working his magic with Example, a UK singer/rapper handling vocals.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Resurrected from the ether
This blog will soon return with brand-new posts. I hope writing more longform work will help my brain stretch itself a bit, in turn helping me in my day-to-day job, writing shortform promo scripts. It's too late for a coherent post tonight, but regular postings of new items will resume shortly.
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