Morning all-- I finally feel, even though I'm still tired-- as if I'm back on East Coast time. Well, and I've had my two cups of coffee. On the downside, however, I think I'm coming down with a post-conference cold.
With the introvert/extrovert thing I'm sort of a weird amalgam. I'm an introvert in the sense that I like nothing better than being at home, with my stuff and my family and my dogs.
I'm also painfully shy, which tends to come as a shock to people who meet me-- but the thing is, if I "know" you, via online or whatever, I'm good-- or if I'm with someone who knows other people. I have to have that buffer. My idea of a nightmare is to be sent into a room full of people where I, in no way, know anybody, and be told, "Okay, you have to work the room and introduce yourself."
Right. I'll be the one in the corner curled up in the fetal position. It's why I always sucked at going to bars or clubs in college. Gave off that lovely "Come too close and I'll cut your heart out with a spork" vibe.
Because of having to go to conferences for work, I can be the extrovert, but I do have to be able to retreat either by myself or with smaller groups of my tribe periodically. It's why National being in San Francisco was so wonderful-- unlike other cities we've been in, the opportunity to just get out and wander and kind of be a sea, by myself, even among other people, was abundant. Plus-- got to spend time with people who had nothing to do with conference (juliana, jz, javachik, I'm lookin' at y'all)-- also an unexpected treat. Much as it's wonderful to be in a setting where you can talk about your profession and craft so unreservedly, it was lovely to just be a regular person, too.
But yeah, I come home from a conference and all I want to do is curl up in my cave and not emerge for at least a month. Unfortunately, I have to do just that this morning, since we appear to be out of milk. Oy.
Okay, yeah, I've had coffee this morning.
Hivemind. What's a noun form that means mortify.
Comcast is the anti-Christ, if the anti-Christ were dumb as a box of rocks.
Have a great trip, Cashmere.
I am also introvert. I'm sensing a pattern. Being out among the humans drains me, and I realized long ago that one reason why being with my family is exhausting is that they never leave me alone.
I particularly hate small talk and facing a room full of people I don't know, which is why the idea of networking, which is actually pretty important to my business, makes me want to lie down. Sometimes I get to a networking event and manage to plunge in for a while. Other times, I stand at the door for a few minutes, then turn around and go home.
When I had surgery and chemo, members of my family were quite hurt that I didn't have them come stay with me to "help." I knew I could do cancer or other people, but not both. If my mother came, she'd be the man who came to dinner. The surgeries required someone to be there, and one friend flew in from Florida for one and another drove from Tennessee for the other. These were friends who would be happy reading when I was reading, who wouldn't fuss and who would leave. I am still hugely grateful to them.
Okay, so maybe I skimmed to get to this:
Also, I was looking through job postings, and found an ad for a position at Ohio State that's pretty much exactly what I want to do.
Hil! Woo! ::clears off the couch::
My relentless pimping of Atlanta never has any effect.
Sorry for the terrible, no-good days, vw. Are you applying ice?
Are you applying ice?
Yes. It's good for numbing for a while.
I am also introvert. I'm sensing a pattern. Being out among the humans drains me, and I realized long ago that one reason why being with my family is exhausting is that they never leave me alone.
Thank god my family is more or less in tune with my need to be *away* for periods of time. Usually. With people who don't know me as well (or who aren't any of y'all) if can get tougher - I spend an inordinate amount of time coming up with plausible excuses (Walgreen's run, forgot something and need to go back for it - "you go ahead, I'll catch up" - ) to squeeze out fifteen minutes or so of chill time.
With things like the SF2F, I took a lot of long walks by myself or would just chill in the room or out on that patio with a book for a little while every so often and that's enough for me to recharge. The smoking helps with that, actually - gives you an excuse to duck away for a few minutes. (Not that I'm recommending it, but still.)
