The trees outside our house seemed to be quite still so I decided to take Louie along the beach. The trees outside our house were lying.
On the beach I was literally blown around. Not completely off my feet but moved by the wind. Louie had a wonderful time chasing leaves. He's a lovely dog except when he's on his lead. He insists on pulling. As he has to be on his lead at least for a little while on every walk it's a pain. The rest of the time he's wonderful. Comes when called, is good with people and other dogs, and is generally a sweetie. If he'd just stop pulling my arm out!
* * * * *
In church, Monty talked about when he was a lad thinking he was the quiet one in his gang of friends. When he went to university he discovered he was now the loud one - because his original group had all been especially extrovert.
It made me think about my childhood. In my large extended family I was the painfully shy one. They were almost without exception opinionated and not scared of speaking up. I rarely spoke even among my peer group. I was the quiet one.
These days I lead studies in Zac's, I speak in prison, I've lead various groups, I enjoy - once it's over - public speaking. People regularly compliment me and are amazed when I say I how nervous I was. I wonder if my relatives would recognise me now. I'm still quiet on the whole but confident when I know what I'm doing, although I'm still not good at small talk and I wonder if that was lack of practice as a child and teenager.
I still think of myself as that shy child. Maybe it's time I fully stepped into the other person I am, the person God possibly created me to be. Have more confidence, be more assured. Then again sometimes when I'm with other people I wonder why they feel the need to say so much, or explain something in such detail. So perhaps my lack of small talk is more built on a dislike of wasted words.
I consider my inability to chat to be a failing but why should it be? Stu and I are frequently in Zac's working quietly and are quite happy with the silence. Neither of us feels the need for unnecessary chatter.
Anyway, what about you? Do you know who you are?
8 comments:
Disliking idle chit-chat and small talk, being quiet in larger groups of people, but nevertheless speaking up when it is needed and you have something meaningful to contribute, are not "failings" but characteristics of introversion. Extroverts don't understand that and do regard them as failings. Don't buy their propaganda, lol! I'm an introvert myself and know these are all valid ways of being in this world, which should not attract criticism or judgment.
"I wonder why they feel the need to say so much, or explain something in such detail. So perhaps my lack of small talk is more built on a dislike of wasted words" - YESSSSSSSS! This is me
I was a painfully shy child also. The older I get the more bold and outspoken I've become.
Us introverts need to unite. One by one. Without talking too much about it.
The larger the group, the quieter I am. But I also can speak out when it is my turn.
I am inclined to listen quietly but to speak up eventually. I can led a group but I prefer not to any more.
I have become more outspoken over the years and while not a public speaker, if there is something that needs to be said then I can handle that. Overall, listening is more my preference as one learns more that way..
A couple of weeks ago someone referred to me as an extrovert. I was shocked and looked around to see if someone else had entered the room, because I consider myself anything but extroverted.
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