Well, here's some positive news. An acquaintance of mine who is a VO pro (award-winning and such) is willing to give me a consultation while I'm up in the Bay Area. I hope that getting a realistic assessment of where I'm rusty and where I'm okay and where to go from there will help me get over my fear. I really need to because I don't have too many ways to get out of the poverty my disability has plunged me into.

That makes sense, Vortex. I couldn't decode that, somehow.

Congratulations, Kate! May your honeymoon-at-home be every bit as blissful as an immediate vacation.

The introvert article confused me on the use of the word "happiness," too. I finally decided they mean "happiness from an outside source," because it's poppycock to say that introverts don't want happiness.

I am, of course, almost a textbook introvert, and I cannot say how much I agree with this part:

Don't interrupt if an introvert does get to talking. Listen closely. "Being overlooked is a really big issue for introverts," Laney says. Introverts are unlikely to repeat themselves; they will not risk making the same mistake twice.

Seriously. It fucking pisses me off to no end when people interrupt while I'm talking. Interrupting with wisecracks and puns is practically a competitive sport in my office, and I want to go all Evil Hand every time someone does it to me.

DCistas:

Sent to you by sharynh via Google Reader: Casting Now: What Not to Wear - DC via mediabistro.com: FishbowlDC on 9/7/10

Know a DC damsel in fashion distress? If so, she's in luck because Clinton Kelly, Stacy London and the fine folks from TLC's "What Not to Wear" are filming four episodes in Washington...but they need your help to find these lucky fashion victims.

If you know a style-challenged individual in need of a serious intervention, contact casting producer and friend of FishbowlDC Michael Petrella with the info requested after the jump.

Ha I was thinking this morning "What if WNTW is following me with the hidden cameras?!" I was a mess as I so often am on my way to work.

but they need your help to find these lucky fashion victims

Lucky? If anyone did that to me, I would kill them. On camera. Dressed *fabulously*.

Although I doubt that anyone would call me an introvert, I actually have a lot of introverted tendencies.

high-fives Vortex

but they need your help to find these lucky fashion victims

Lucky? If anyone did that to me, I would kill them. On camera. Dressed *fabulously*.

Death by hatpins.

That sounds good, Spidra. I hope it helps.

Although I doubt that anyone would call me an introvert, I actually have a lot of introverted tendencies

I test as an introvert on Myers-Briggs, and I seriously need alone time (I put most of my increased anxiety recently down to not having enough space - when we move, The Girl and I will have a study each, and it can't happen fast enough). But I can do socialising under the right conditions, and I miss seeing people after a while alone.

ITA on the interruptions, Tep. Being interrupted will likely lead to me dropping out of the conversation entirely, figuring my input is just not needed and I can probably stop listening, as well.

The stuff about the internal responses doesn't fit my experience, but I have developed a coping mechanism of concentrating very hard on listening to what whoever else is talking to me is saying and not formulating a response or thinking about how I feel about what they are saying, etc. This leads to (a) long lag times before I can make a response, as I have to start thinking about my response only after the other person stops talking and (b) people thinking I agree with them because my look of concentration apparently also looks like "you are so right, please go on".