Not Actually Talking to People

Recently, I read a novel which characterized its protagonist as being painfully shy and withdrawn. She had trouble speaking in public, meeting new people, and facing life's little challenges in general. While portraying the character responding to her e-mail, the author observed that the young woman was very happy to be living in an age where she could talk to people without actually having to see them in person.

Ha! I love that. Being an introvert married to an extrovert makes one appreciate the humor there. For example, the members of my family of origin can run into each other every 15 years or so, and say, "Hey, how're you doing?" "Great--how've you been?" "Staying out of trouble?" "Oh, yeah." And we're done.

My husband's relatives, on the other hand, are more like, "Hi. Haven't seen you in an hour. Where've you been? What are you wearing? Where are you going? What are you doing? What will you do when you get there? Why will you do that? Who else will be there? When are you coming back?"

I love my husband's family--and they love me, which is a real gift. They're good for me, and I hope I'm good for them. And I love the exhilarating times we spend together. But, hey, we're different.

(We may not be as different as I think. Once I told my brother-in-law, Mountain Man, that I was shy, and he laughed out loud. But, I digress.)

I read somewhere that the brains of introverts respond to social stimuli differently from those of extroverts, which explains some of the mental exhaustion we suffer at big parties. Having all you people talking to us at once just wears out our gray matter!

So, anyway, welcome to my blog, a place where people can talk without actually having to see each other. I hope to be here from time to time, when life allows me a few moments to indulge in reading and writing and just being terribly shy.

TS