Learning to live with an Introvert

Boyfriend Jon and I have been living together for five months now. And along with all the normal arguments compromise that goes along with combining resources, tasks, and responsibilities...it's also been a huge learning experience. For me especially, learning to live with an introvert has been a near constant crash course trying to understand what, when and how much the other person needs.

Why didn't I know this coming in to the living-together situation?

Well, I knew he was happy staying at home, and that when he got involved in a project, it went so far as to exclude all else for long periods of time. I've also never in my life lived with an introvert. There is no such thing in my family, though my mom claims to be one. She goes for long long drives by herself, but usually, it's to go see someone. My dad, rarely goes to the grocery store without someone to keep him company and my siblings take up the spectrum in between.

Overall, i guess i fit into the Extrovert category. I somewhat straddle the line, though. While i love having someone there even though i'm not talking to them, i also don't like people getting into my bubble without permission. Empty house means i'm going to turn on the TV just to have the placebo effect of a human voice.

What i didn't know was that The Introversion Flag could pop up at any time, occasionally conflicting with my extrovert needs to have company, interaction, and socialization.

But I've watched him, seen the physical exhaustion that comes after parties, the strain after long periods where he can't work on his projects, and the outright despondence when we've been going going going, for a long time.

He's a strong man; I wouldn't be with him if he wasn't strong enough to support my own weaknesses. And often i wonder at his patience with my constant whirlwind of plans, projects and bouncing from idea to idea in a single conversation as i try to clear out my head for bedtime.

Out of everything we've been through for almost 3 years, this has been the toughest part for me to learn: Boyfriend Jon is an introvert and has different mental needs than i do. But, I honestly don't know what i'd do without my Infuriating Introvert.

Occasionally, in trying to help me understand, he sends me articles, comics, or a few emails that better explain Introversion. The following was one of the most adorable depictions I've ever seen and i had to share it.

Discovering Hawaiian Music

With the exception of the most famous modern Hawaiian song "What a wonderful world" (which really isn't a Hawaiian song) by Hawaii's greatest musician (Israel IZ Kamakawiwo'ole) I had never given Hawaiian music a second thought.  I heard it at the end of 50 First Dates and really loved the new take on the Judy Garland Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I couldn't even pronounce the artist's name. But i knew it when i heard it and stopped to listen. But that was the grand extent of my knowledge of music from the islands.


Enter Boyfriend Jon, who has Hawaiian heritage, to introduce me to the big man from the big island, and a handful of other Ukulele players and very talented guitarists. We made a trip to EMP and he taught me how the instruments developed in Hawaii. Next thing i know i'm a sucker for most Hawaiian music. 


Now normally at work, i'm not supposed to wear headphones because apparently i'm not supposed to tune the world out when i'm there for the sole purpose to assist people. But i got put on to a project which required me to concentrate and i got my boss's blessing to put ear-buds in to drown out nearby conversations.

Quickly i found that my normal stations on Pandora; rock, country were not good choices because i couldn't concentrate through the lyrics. It's a problem when you're supposed to be re-typing a technical document and a sentence comes out: "this part list will be superceeded by document she's a bad mamma jamma from down in Alabama"
Needless to say, i had to find something new.

I'm not sure how i remembered, but I started a station with Israel's What a wonderful world/Somewhere over the rainbow and the song after that was a beautiful Ukulele solo with a peppy beat. My Hawaiian station was born. I could concentrate and still listen to beautiful music.

In a few hours i started to notice a change in my mood about having to re-type a 35 page document because some genius had lost the digital copy and of course no one thought i had anything better to do. Instead, my brain started thinking about how this really was great practice to get my fingers in shape for writing for Nano. I started doing my own word sprints just to see if i could get my typing skills back up to my Nano levels.

I finished the document two days ahead of schedule feeling not only relieved that it was over, but triumphant.

I even found a song that never fails to make me smile though i normally would think it to be silly and childish. "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobbie McFerrin gets me laughing no matter how bad my day is or how much my co-workers are being pills.

Now i'm sneaking one bud in my ear so i can still hear people calling for my help and enjoy the music.

Pranks that deserve admiration

Normally, i'm not one that condones lawless behaviour. And since my dad and people like him rely on roadway signs to protect them from clueless drivers, i understand how troublesome a breech like this is and what kind of dangers it presents to road crews and motorists alike.
But I must admit, whoever came up with this multi-state prank deserves some applause before they get fined.

In three states, Washington, Illinois, and Texas, roadsigns were hacked to display messages such as above. Some of the better ones were: "Caution zombies ahead", and "Daily lane closeures due to zombies". Although it looks like one county didn't quite understand the whole message because they put "Raptors" instead.

Natrually, my overly active imagination took this prompt and ran rampant with it.
What if these signs were common place in our lives, general warning for zombie swarms? That would be interesting!

That would be my reaction

Warning, crude humor:



Artwork courtesy of Girls with Slingshots, a webcomic by Danielle Corsetto

Modern versions of Christmas carrols

Ahem...

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go
Take a look at the city streets
And lots of roadkill meats
And parking spots that never existed before!

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas
Dont' forget the bateries
Cause you'll never be able to hear again
for the screams and wails of children
when their toys don't work immediatly.

A very long line for the clerks that loops around the store
And nobody can find the end
Whining brats who demand of this and that
are the bane of every parent and store
And where can you find child size straight jackets?

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas

Soon the cussing will start

And the thing that will make you grin

is the finger not for rings

Sticking up in the air

I truely have my hillariously evil moments...

I had a great celibratory get together with four of the other Eastside Wrimers whom i've been getting to know this last month. They truely are some amazing hillarious people. I'm honored to have had the chance to get to know them and we're all so different but yet we can talk on a variety of subjects and never have those moments of scilence where no one knows what to reply with.

I have to say thought that by far the most exciting and hillarious moment of the night did not occure at the table where we convigned but in the bathroom. The story is as follows:
As i'm getting up from the table, one of the group jokes that, "Oh we're boring you so much that you're gonna leave"
By that point, I had already gotten around the table to where she was on my way to the bathroom. I respond "No, i'm going to the bathroom, unless you'd like me to go right here."
Her quick comeback: "Go right ahead"
Thankfully i had a comeback of my own all ready for her. I sat down on her lap. She kinda sputtered inchoheranty for a couple seconds, and then i got up and we all had a good laugh. However nature was calling so i made my way to the bathroom again.
I go to push open the door to the ladies room and am immediatly asaulted with cleaner by a trigger happy employee who was attempting to spray the door handle on the other side of the door. She get's this moritifed look on her face and freezes in that huddled pose for a second or two while we stare at each other with dumbfounded suprise before she starts babbling applogies.
Too precious a impulse to resist, I promptly throw my arms in the air and yell "I SWEAR OFFICER, I'M CLEAN!" While managing to keep a semi straight face.
Other patrons look around at my back to see what the ruckus is all about.
The poor probably 16 year old employee is turning bright red at this point as I'm trying to not laugh and i go into the stall and do my business. As i'm done, i flip the lock on the stall door and yell again "I'm comming out! Don't Shoot!" sending the poor girl into more helpless laughter as she's still trying to clean the bathroom.
I ask her if it's safe to use the sink. She's laughing too hard to say anything but she points to one of them and manages to nod.
Once i've washed my hands i go to open the door as she delberatly puts down the spray cleaner as if to assure me that she won't spray me again on the way out.
Again, the impulse is by far too overwhelming to resist. As i open the door, i look over at her and say "Thanks for cleaning me out!" and walk past a good number of very confused patrons who are looking at me like i'm crazy.

I love being silly and confusing people. I had my entire group laughing hysterically with the story.