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.
