Normally, shopping would just about drive me bat-guano (and stark-raving) nuts. First of all, clothing stores have a nasty habit of being cluttered and claustrophobic. Secondly, one begins to feel like a bumper car with the crush of people on all sides. Lastly (but not least-ly), unless you happen to have a "perfect" body, there is an element of masochism to figuring out what size fits best on your body in each brand.
The upside to shopping is that the budget-minded professional in me luxuriates in finding a real bargain. When I say "real bargain," I mean getting a $100 outfit for $10, or getting a bunch of $100 outfits for $100 total.
I recently met and got to know a kindred spirit. She and I have similar philosophies of living, and a ton of things in common. When we talk about going shopping, I light up a bit, like a "normal" female. We can make fun of horrible fashions! We can try on outfits and say NOPE, NOPE, NOPE, NOPE! We can both gravitate to the same dress and then quickly check with each other to make sure it's copacetic to be "Twinsies!" Yay!
Now, I love hanging out with my friend no matter what. But the fact that she's turned shopping from a somewhat odious task into something fun and restorative speaks volumes. :)
Hooray for yesterday!
Be well, fellow Introverts!
Monday, March 21, 2016
Friday, March 4, 2016
Busy Little Bee
As I keep saying to my long-suffering husband, I need to hand in my Introvert Card. Lately, I've been all about volunteerism, game nights, and movie nights. The color of my GoogleCal entries is purple. Lately, when I check the calendar it's covered in little purple rectangles. (I promptly get deja-vu for Rothko at The MoMA.)
There is something peaceful and basic about knowing the bulk of one's path. Even if I were to be dismissed from my position, I would still know What I Love To Do. My younger stepson is lucky enough to have known exactly what lights him up in the way of practical, real-world work since the age of 15. I know a grand total of three people in that boat. It took me until my mid-twenties to figure out my path, and it took me until age 29 to make it a functional reality.
Romance was a great deal more difficult for me. I've discussed this at length in a prior posting. I try not to toot my horn too much about being happy with my mate. We're not conflict-free, but we listen to one another. Love is joy AND love is hard work. One of the best pieces of marital advice I've ever received was from my friend Jenny: "Sweetie, you go down the aisle with a lover/friend and you go back up the aisle with a relative." I love thinking of it that way. Romeyn and I continue to have honeymoon-worthy moments of bliss, and we weather the difficult stuff pretty damn well too.
If I were to pick one Introvert Activity for which I desperately need MORE time...it would be knitting. I want to do more creative knitting, now that I've mastered a few distinct (and not uncomplicated) patterns. It's such a calming and repetitive motion. The results of this endeavor are immediately tangible, and it's not as messy as things get when I paint.
Be well, fellow Introverts.
There is something peaceful and basic about knowing the bulk of one's path. Even if I were to be dismissed from my position, I would still know What I Love To Do. My younger stepson is lucky enough to have known exactly what lights him up in the way of practical, real-world work since the age of 15. I know a grand total of three people in that boat. It took me until my mid-twenties to figure out my path, and it took me until age 29 to make it a functional reality.
Romance was a great deal more difficult for me. I've discussed this at length in a prior posting. I try not to toot my horn too much about being happy with my mate. We're not conflict-free, but we listen to one another. Love is joy AND love is hard work. One of the best pieces of marital advice I've ever received was from my friend Jenny: "Sweetie, you go down the aisle with a lover/friend and you go back up the aisle with a relative." I love thinking of it that way. Romeyn and I continue to have honeymoon-worthy moments of bliss, and we weather the difficult stuff pretty damn well too.
If I were to pick one Introvert Activity for which I desperately need MORE time...it would be knitting. I want to do more creative knitting, now that I've mastered a few distinct (and not uncomplicated) patterns. It's such a calming and repetitive motion. The results of this endeavor are immediately tangible, and it's not as messy as things get when I paint.
Be well, fellow Introverts.
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