When people see my simple wedding band, some of them wonder where my diamond solitaire engagement ring is. Well, I never got one. Instead, I got a goat. Strange, you say? Well, let me tell you the story.
My Introvert Life: In Marriage
[My Introvert Life is a series exploring my introversion as it presents itself in various life contexts.]
When people find out I’m an introvert, the most common question is, “So what is Tim? An introvert or an extrovert?” Well, we tell them, on the sliding scale of introversion/extroversion, Tim is more extroverted than I am, but not an extreme extrovert. He will still need down time at home, but definitely not as much as I need it. He starts to get restless if he doesn’t get out of the house at least once a day. Whereas I can go four days without leaving our apartment and not notice it! (Ok, by day four, I am restless too.)
My Introvert Life: As a Single
[My Introvert Life is a series exploring my introversion as it presents itself in various life contexts.]
I have a confession: as a single person, I struggled immensely with accepting my introverted needs. “Sorry, I need to hang out by myself tonight,” didn’t exactly sound cool, you know? Mercifully, when I was in school, I had a lot of art classes, which allowed me to work in relative silence on my own. And for most of my single years, I had the energy of youth on my side, so I could get away with hopping from one event to another without having to give it much thought. For a while, anyway.
My Introvert Life: The Postpartum Weeks
[My Introvert Life is a series exploring my introversion as it presents itself in various life contexts.]
When I was pregnant, I suspected that having a child would profoundly impact the way I functioned and cared for myself as an introvert. Having less or virtually no “me” time was a given. I prepared myself for that. I told myself that it would just be a season and that in time, I would be able to find a new rhythm. I was right on that count.
My Introvert Life
Hello there! Welcome to this series called My Introvert Life.
On the vast continuum between Introversion and Extroversion, I happen to be on the far introvert end of the spectrum. By definition, being introverted means I gain my energy from being alone. Activities such as sleeping, painting, reading and writing are all solitary endeavours that recharge my soul. The Introvert/Extrovert dynamic is only one part of what makes up my personality, but it plays a pretty significant role in my understanding of myself and how I carry about my life. That’s why I think it’s a worthwhile endeavour to take a closer look at it.
When God Feels Like a Meany
What do you do when God sets you up for something great, only to pull the rug from underneath you? This past week has felt like that for me. Being the recovering perfectionist that I am, I had wanted to wait until this story had a happy ending before I wrote about it. But as I contemplated what was going on, I felt convicted to be more honest and real; to tell it as it is.
Dear Extroverts (An Honest Letter from an Introvert)
[This post is in response to my friend, Amelia’s, post entitled “Dear Introverts (An Honest Letter from an Extrovert).” It is the first in a series of posts about My Introvert Life.]
Dear Extroverts,
You amaze me. Your outgoing friendliness, your capacity for life and people, your sheer energy! I’m fascinated by the way you can go from engagement to engagement without taking a break. And how you never seem to be at a loss for words.