If a total stranger (i.e. you!) asked someone close to me to describe me I'm not sure they would necessarily say "introvert". I think that often, when someone thinks of what an introvert looks like they might say "shy" or "quiet". I identify as an introvert but I'm not really either of those things. I can talk to strangers pretty easily, I like people and I'm not too shabby when asked to make a presentation at work. However, I still think of myself as an introvert.
One of the main characteristics that aligns me with the world of introverts is what tires me and what energises me. I'll be honest, I'm not at all keen on parties or big group gatherings. Even though I'm getting on a bit (30+!) it's not an age thing - I've been this way forever. When I was younger, and especially when I was at university, I felt like I *should* love going to parties and hanging out with tons of people. I felt bad that in actual fact that really did little for me and actually made me feel like I needed to retreat and recover. What I have found, and accepted, over time is that I much prefer and value time spent with a few people at a time, when I can actually share thoughts and ideas and connect on a more individual level. I also value time to myself, even though I don't think of myself as "antisocial".
Another real challenge for me is noise. Whether the noise be music, a cranked up TV or just a lot of background chatter, I often feel noise to be exhausting. I mean genuinely, physically tiring. I only realised this about myself in the last couple of years. In the past I would feel that my shoulders were hunched and I was feeling tense and irritable without knowing why. Now I realise - turn off that damned radio or move to a quieter workspace, and instantly, as if by magic, I can feel ten times better. It's like a world of stress has lifted from my shoulders. Odd, huh?
My communication styles and preference also fit with an introverted personality type. I find that I can express myself much more fluently in writing than in speech - both in English (my mother tongue) and in French (which I have studied to a fairly advanced level).
I used to beat myself up a bit for being the way I am. However I now understand that I am not alone and, in fact, there is a greater understanding/appreciation around nowadays for introverts (this is one of my next reads). I still think society at large is more geared towards accepting and rewarding extroverts. That is perhaps another post for another day.
All of this is another reason, I think, why I am finding that I enjoy the calm and peace I feel when I am sewing. Even when I am cursing because I have messed up again!
So that's the story behind "Oh Sew Quiet". And besides, it's a funky song, even for an introvert ;-)
