- Introverts are shy
- Introverts are self-absorbed and don't care about others
- Introverts hate being around people
- Introverts are nervous in social situations
- Introverts are insecure
- Introverts are socially awkward
2013 for me began at a low note, it picked up though but with every passing weekend i found myself at home either reading a book, magazine, on Facebook/Twitter, blogging, filling in crossword puzzles and sudoku or watching a feel good movie and this has been my life these past four months.I don't differentiate weekdays from weekends and I can actually count how many times I've been out partying. This a few years back would have not been the case, my weekends began on Thursday and ended Monday!
I was at the mall the other day with my cousin and after purchasing a few items, we went to check out and there stood this tall glass of water. We kinda locked eyes and i immediately dragged my cousin from that till to the next one and she was fuming cause that was the shortest queue we'd left. She asks why, i explain and she drags me back behind the eye candy. I had to stand there awkwardly avoiding eye contact which he tried to get but unfortunately i could not get myself to look at him. A while back i would have marched up there with all the confidence i could master, smiling and even stutter a hello...What is not happening to me?
Maybe I've always been an introvert, it's just now that I am accepting it and getting comfortable. I saw a pal of mine last week i hadn't seen for a while, he said I had grown and swore that he meant it as a compliment...yeah right? I still don't believe him. He explained that from the way i talk, to the way i carry myself to how i text showed maturity. As compared to the me he knew, it was a big change. He added though that i looked sad and this struck a cord.....I used to be a bubbly, confident, easy-going girl who loved to have herself a good time. But, to be honest i actually enjoy the quiet life now, i may miss young, wild and free me sometimes, but when all is said and done...think i've been there, done that.
Here are a few ways of how to deal with introverts:
1. Do not ever rebuke us in public or you and I are done.... forever, and I mean it.
2. Sometimes we just get totally flustered and want to give up, but that's not the time for lectures, theology or your super-awesome advice. You don't have to say anything, just be there.
3. We use less words and we don't always use them well, but if we chose to spend time with you, that means we care.
4. Sometimes we are just moody, it's not depression or anything like that. One word...space, give it to us, and lots of it.
5. Don't be offended if we don't reply right away, we see that facebook invite to an event but we'll let it sit there and think about it before we respond. We do the same with text messages, emails, phonecalls and you showing up at the door.
6. Don't be offended if I'm being extra talkative or friendly with someone else, we interact with people in different ways.
7. We get super tired around a lot of people. My limit is about six hours and then I actually tune out and get bored hanging around human beings. My sabbath rest is leave me alone time.
8. We can do anything extroverts can do, even give speeches with time and patience. We are much more methodical and like to think and process things. Our silence doesn't mean we are not listening, we'll talk when we dang feel like it.
9. We actually like to listen unlike extroverts who like to monopolize conversations.
10. It's great how extroverts express themselves during worship. But we sometimes just read the lyrics, connect inwardly and keep our hands to ourselves. If you see me raise even one hand and sing a few words, I am seriously pushing the gas pedal all the way to the floor.
11. If i don't answer the first time you call, I won't answer the second time you call 30seconds later. If you call a third time, i'll answer but it had damn well better be an emergency.
12. "Since you are not doing anything".... Correction, sitting quietly and staring into space is doing something to me. It does not mean I am waiting for a nice chat.
13. "May I join you?" Um...no! (But sometimes yes) Good luck making sense of that.
14. "I invited a few people to join us, hope that's ok"...It's not really, but there's nothing i can do about it now.
15. Most introverts are quite happy in their introverted world, don't try to change them. Remember, they don’t get energized by being the life of the party like you do.
That will be all lovelies...Keep warm! xx
