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There was hardly another soul around. It was blissful. I spent a good deal of my time sitting in a swing under a tree with a book watching the ducks out on the lake.”
Penny Wilson, for Introvertdear.com
My hairdresser shared an interesting observation last week — something I’d never thought of. I’ve been to the hairdresser twice since mid-March, and it was time to snip off an unruly end or two. When I arrived I suggested she cut my hair dry, or spray water on the ends, as the prospect of her face hanging over my face in the shampoo bowl, even with both wearing masks, seem a bit unnerving. The hairdresser, let’s call her Betty, complied.
Betty conveniently has her shop next to her home. It’s in the Prairie, a quick 16 minutes from my home. She has cats, dogs, exotic birds and a lake with ducks. Her flower gardens and potted plants surround the shop, making it feel like I have hardly left home. The shop is quiet. There’s just Betty, me and one chair. She dampens my hair and begins to snip.
We chat about current events. We both agree staying at home has not been hard, though we do miss church and visiting face-to-face with a few friends. We miss the freedom to move about as we please without restriction. But all in all, it has not been as hard for us as it has for some people. Living a country life with critters, pets, gardens, lakes, fields, daily chores, out-building upkeep, equipment, homecare and cooking hardly leaves time for much else. Truthfully, we’d rather text, email or write a note than call folks. Staying home is practically an introvert’s heaven.
The conversation turned to those who are finding it especially difficult in terms of lack of people contact with friends and family. While introverts enjoy their friends and family, they don’t draw their energy from being with a lot of people. Rather, they give their energy to others through listening and contemplation. In fact, a conversation with an introvert may stay in the introvert’s mind much longer than you might imagine. For time to come the introverts will think it, examine it, turn it over and over in their mind, and look for meanings and solutions to fix a friend’s problems.
On the other end, many extroverts, those who draw energy from human contact, may not fair as well in times of quarantine and sheltering. I’ll confess I’ve not had the necessary sympathy with my extroverted friends struggling with being homebound. I’ve not had patience with them as they continue to socialize in one way or another with dozens of their closest friends. At times I’ve thought them downright foolish.
My revelation came from Betty: “You know how you and I feel when we get in a large crowd with lots of noise and lights?”
“Yes, I practically have a meltdown,” I answered. “Well,” she said, “That’s how extroverts feel when they can’t be with their family and friends.”
The next day I stood in the garden wearing my sun-protection bonnet, holding the water hose over my flowerbeds, and wondered how I could safely fix the extroverts’ sheltering problems.
Email reaches Shannon Bardwell of Columbus at [email protected].
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