Living Life As an Introvert
/I am sharing a little about myself today with a little honesty. I want to be a “what you see/read is what you get” kind of person. This post is hard for me to write because I’m sharing something I have dealt with all my life. I AM AN INTROVERT, and now the world knows my secret! I’ve mentioned this
, but I have not written about it since.
Being an introvert
is hard
. Not everyone "gets" us, not everyone understands what we deal with. In fact, some will pass judgment out of sheer ignorance of whom introverts really are. I’ll never forget the day when I was teaching school and another staff member told me, “
You are just prideful, your heart is full of pride, and that is a sin”
and
“You are causing your husband to miss times of fellowship.
” Those statements cut me to the core and to this day when I think about the conversation, it opens the hurt.
I was newly married and in a conversation, I mentioned that we did not attend many of the dinners at our church because we didn’t care for that kind of fellowship. I did not go in detail that my husband knew I loathed dinners because of being in a large room with a crowd. Prideful, my heart was full of pride, really?
Living Life As An Introvert
While few introverts may enjoy going to parties and dinners, I don’t. I don’t care about meeting new people and I don’t enjoy feeling like I’m the only one in the crowd even with people I know.
Just because I’m quite, doesn’t mean I don’t have anything to say. When I want to talk to you about something, I will. I don’t care for small-talk; in fact, I will avoid it at all costs. You can ask my family, I don’t call them to just talk. When I’m done with what I want to say, I’m hanging up. Don’t try to pull me into a conversation with small-talk, because it will not happen and I'll come across as rude, when I'm not trying to be.
I care about what people think of me, but then I couldn’t give hoot what they think. Confusing? I care about my testimony and if people think of me as being a good wife, mother, and a good person in general. But my beliefs, looks, introvert oddities, I couldn't care less what people think. They can either accept me as I am, or move on; it makes no difference to me.
I’m extremely choosy with people I let into my world - I spend time “reading” them while not saying anything - I absorb as much about someone before opening the door to them - I want to know if I’m going to have my ears talked off, or if I’m going to be dealing with someone I can’t trust. I have one very close friend that I grew up with, who knows the real me and understands me.
I DO NOT LIKE when people DROP IN for a visit! I'll fuss you out behind the closed door and hide in the back of the house and you'll never know it. If I do decide to open the door, you won't be invited in because it is just plain rude to not call ahead!
As an introvert, I have a quite a few interests. I love cooking and baking, knitting, sewing and caring for my family. I’m learning to love quilting and I dream of one day being a painter.
It’s a good thing God allows opposites to attract. My sweet husband who is also my best friend is an extrovert and he totally gets me. Although, he says when we were dating it was a little difficult, but he knew what he wanted and he learned how to get around the quirkiness.
Whatever you do, don’t tell me to work on coming out of my shell. I grew up hearing this from the time I was young until I got married. I’m not in a shell. I am not shy. I am not scared. I am not weird.
I am me and I am an introvert
.
Are you the parent of an introvert? I have shared a little about
.
Are you curious about being friends with an introvert? My friend Jamie (who is also an introvert) shared
10 tips on how to be friends with introverts
.
